The Messenger
by Marie Carlson
Summary: She seemed like your average woman of Rohan: blonde, brave, durable. He was a Rider of the Riddermark: strong, valiant, loyal to his country. But he soon finds out that this strange young woman is not all she professes to be. Under new account.
1. Dark Rider

**Copyright 2005-2006 © Marie Carlson. All rights reserved.**

**A/N: Okay, the rest of the notes on this have been revised but not rewritten so they may not make sense. This story was originally posted under Rochelle Adams' account. Since I got my own account, I'm putting it on here so it may be a little confusing for those that already read this to see it up again. I will post the whole thing at the same time though and it will be labeled as complete. Sorry for the inconvenience and thanks! Oh and this is mostly movie verse. **

Knock, knock

_Oh, bother! Another person to wish me welcome to Edoras! Can't they take a hint?_

Threwen turned away from the window, plastered her best smile on her face, and opened the door to greet yet another new neighbor carrying a loaf of bread. She knew she was going to be sick of bread by winter's end. Hey, she had only been in this town for one week and she was already sick of it!

"Thank you very much!" she said, grinning with fake kindness. Threwen usually liked people, but this was too much.

_Maybe moving here wasn't the best idea. Maybe I should've turned down that offer. Is it worth it?_

The 18 year old collapsed into a chair after ushering out the last visitor and surveyed her surroundings. Her cottage was rather quaint, its previous occupants obviously a small family. She had purchased it after they had left to seek shelter elsewhere. A lot of people were fleeing Rohan these days, but where else were they to go? Gondor was much worse and no one was stupid enough to venture into Fangorn Forest for the rumors of that place were even worse than that of Minas Tirith.

Not that Threwen was afraid of Fangorn. She had been there. Actually she had lived there for a few months.

_Not that bad, once you get used to it_, she thought. _Of course, I had no choice, no other place to go…until he found me. Then I had a purpose…_ or so she thought.

She pushed these dark thoughts from her mind and decided that some fresh air would do her good. She loved riding and, having been cooped up all day, settled on taking a short trip around Edoras.

This was all fine and dandy until she and Asimma, her horse, realized how very small Edoras was. Upon noticing this, Threwen rode back home, got a small bag of supplies for one night out in the countryside, and quickly went out of the city into said countryside.

She had always loved taking one night trips to sleep under the stars. Stuffy cottages had never suited her. They blocked out the fresh night air and the view of the vast heavens above.

Threwen breathed deeply, inhaling the smell of grass, the wind nipping at her cheeks, blowing her blonde hair about wildly.

"Now this is more like it, Asimma," she said to her horse, patting the mare gently on the neck. It snorted in reply and pawed at the ground impatiently.

"Oh, so you wanna run, eh? Well alright then!"

Threwen let the horse speed up, the sleek animal quickly picking up swiftness. Soon they were racing across the plains that made up Rohan's beautiful geography. The girl felt her heart start to drum faster, its beat matching that of the wonderful animal she rode upon. It was truly exhilarating!

Finally, she urged the horse to slow down a bit and soon they were trotting along at an ease pace, enjoying the wide open.

"We should do this more often," she commented, laughing.

They rode on for a couple more hours at a leisurely pace, both enjoying being out of the quiet and dull capital. By now Edoras was off in the distance, but still visible.

Suddenly Threwen noticed Asimma becoming agitated. The mount abruptly came to a full stop and started to rear up a little, causing her rider to become a little unsteady.

"What's wrong, Asimma? Steady girl!"

She gripped the reigns tightly, afraid of falling off. The young woman wondered what her animal friend was so tense about, hoping that it wasn't anything dangerous.

Swiftly another rider came into view, a man it looked like, shrouded in a dark cloak. She wondered what an unscrupulous character like him was doing so close to Edoras. The Riders of the Riddermark had to be somewhere nearby…

"I bring word from your master," he said once he came alongside her and her horse. He handed her a small piece of paper.

Threwen looked at him cautiously before slowly taking the note. She scanned it quickly, her green eyes widening.

"Those are your new orders," said the man. He didn't seem to be expecting any reply, as he started to turn to ride off.

Threwen stopped him. "What happens if I don't choose to comply with what my master demands of me?" she called to him. She had a rebellious look in her eye.

He turned around slowly, his face unseen because of the hood covering his eyes. He pulled up next to her once again until they were at eye level (the girl was rather tall). Suddenly he pulled his hand back and struck her hard across the face. The impact resulted in her falling from the saddle to land heavily on the ground.

"You will do as the master commands."

The dark rider galloped away swiftly before she could take any action against him.

Except Threwen wouldn't have been able to take any action for she had barely heard the rider's reply before she slipped into unconsciousness, her head having struck the ground painfully when she was knocked out of her seat atop her horse. Suddenly, Threwen's world went black.

**End Note: Ooh, drama. Love it! **


	2. A Different Kind of Savior

**A/N: Yay! Chapter two! Tehe. Read and enjoy!**

"What's that over there?"

Eomer, Third Marshal of the Mark, looked up upon hearing one of his companions say this. He peered out into the distance toward where the rider was pointing to see what appeared to be the outline of a horse with no rider. Wanting to be sure he called one his nearby riders up to him.

"Rannyn, go over yonder and check that out, will you? Never can be too careful, especially in these dark times," Eomer said. "If it is just a stray horse, bring it back to us

The young blonde rider nodded and swiftly trotted over to the seemingly abandoned horse. It took a while, as the animal was farther away than it had originally seemed out on the vast plain, but he quickly got nearer to it, enough to see what appeared to have happened.

The sight made him gasp. On the ground, beside the horse, lay the rider- an unconscious woman.

Rannyn stopped abruptly and dismounted, rushing to aid the knocked-out girl. He rolled her over onto her back and winced when he saw a deep purple bruise across her right cheek, along with a lump the size of a goose egg on her head where she had struck the ground. He brushed away her long blonde hair, wondering what he should do.

He decided that the best course of action was to take her back to Edoras and to safety. He tied her horse to his and put her up in his saddle, soon joining her. He balanced her in front of him and rode off back to the Riddermark as fast as he could without jeopardizing both her and his safety.

"Lord Eomer! This woman was thrown from her horse! I should take her back to Edoras and to safety!" called Rannyn when he rode up.

The marshal seemed to agree with this. He nodded for him to go back to the capital and then he, along with the rest of the riders, rode out away from the town.

Rannyn rode slowly back to Edoras, not wanting to jar the poor woman more than she already was. It took a while as they were quite a ways away already. Soon it got dark and cold and Rannyn realized that they would not reach the city before midnight, though you could see the lights from its fires from their position.

He decided that the woman's health was more important and that in order to continue the journey it would be easier if she were conscious and able to ride her own horse.

He dismounted and lifted her gently from the saddle, his strong arms flexing underneath the extra weight. Sure she was slender, but she was tall and a little bit bulky to carry, even for a man like Rannyn.

The young man made camp and built a fire, covering the temporarily comatose girl with a blanket he found in her pack. Apparently she had planned on spending the night in the countryside anyway, although he couldn't imagine why since it was extremely dangerous, even for a Rider in the Riddermark.

However, she must've known what she was doing for Rannyn had also discovered a large knife in her knapsack when he was looking for a blanket.

Rannyn had just gone to get a bite to eat from his saddlebag when he returned to find the young woman had awoken. She looked about, a confused look on her face, her long blonde curls tossled a bit.

"Good evening," he said, smiling at her.

"Where am I?" she asked groggily.

"In Rohan, where else?" he replied sarcastically. He grinned at her again, hoping to put her at ease.

She ran a hand through her hair, staring at this strange man sitting by her in the firelight. She rubbed the lump on her head gingerly.

"Who are you?" she asked cautiously. She looked at him a bit suspiciously and had put her hand to the belt that was strapped about her waist.

"I should be asking that of you, for it is highly uncommon to find an armed woman unconscious lying outside of Edoras." He motioned toward her belt. "Do you have another knife in there? Or perhaps you were searching for something less pain-inflicting."

She looked at him with wide green eyes. Obviously the young woman had not expected this man to know so much about her when she had not even met him before.

"My name is Threwen," she said reluctantly, after a long silence.

"Ah," was the young man's only reply for a while. Finally he said, "I am Rannyn, a Rider of the Riddermark. I found you and was attempting to take you back to Edoras when nightfall came. I figured you'd rather sleep out here than taking a bumpy ride all the way back to town on the back of my horse."

She seemed to think about this and then nodded, agreeing with him. He smiled at her again, a bit amused at her silence. She was obviously not planning to tell him anything about herself.

"So, what happened to you? Were you simply planning on taking a leisurely camping trip out to dangerous plains of Rohan or were darker forces at work here?" He motioned toward her bruised face and the swollen lump on her head.

She seemed reluctant at first and then she simply said, "I was out for a ride when my horse reared. I fell off."

Rannyn wanted to ask why the horse reared since there had to be a reason, but he decided against it. _Rest first, questions later_, he thought.

The two settled down by the dying firelight and underneath the infinite mass of stars above them, slowly falling asleep, both wondering what the next day would bring.

**End note: um…review…that's all I've got to say for now…**


	3. The Rider and the Healer

Rannyn awoke to a strange feeling of cold. He sat up and realized that his blanket was gone. In fact, practically everything was gone- packed on the two horses that lay standing nearby.

"Do you normally sleep in this late?"

He looked up, startled to hear a female voice and then he remembered the events of the previous evening.

"Do you normally make assumptions that because I slept in one time that I normally sleep in late?" he countered.

She looked a bit confused at this comment and frowned at him. Then she sat down on the ground across from him, munching on a piece of bread. She absentmindedly rubbed the lump on her head, careful to avoid touching the horrible bruise that streaked across her face.

"I'll call a healer once we get into town to make sure you don't have any more severe damage," Rannyn informed her, noticing her stroking the knob.

She seemed to object to this. "No, I'll be fine. I don't need a healer."

Rannyn was a might taken aback by her firm tone. Why wouldn't she want to be taken to the doctor? It was for the good of her health. Didn't she know that?

_Should I ask her now? What really happened to her last night? I don't think she would have been able to be thrown from her horse and end up with a shiner like that across her face._

"So what happened to you?" he asked quietly, stoking the fire a bit. He planned to make breakfast to give himself time to get more information out of her.

She looked up at him, bewildered. "I already told you. My horse threw me."

Rannyn glanced over at her horse, who was calmly grazing with his mount, and chuckled. "That mare? Nah, I doubt she'd ever do that to you."

"Asimma can get skittish at times. I'm the one who tamed her, but she's a wild animal at heart," pointed out Threwen.

_Okay, so that's a lie, but one won't hurt will it?_ she thought. _After all, he should be content with the information I've given him. _

He still didn't seem to buy it, but he left it at that. He changed the subject toward herself, rather than her activities the night before.

"How long have you lived in Edoras?" he asked.

She paused and then said, "A week. I just moved here from a nearby village. It was pillaged by orcs."

Rannyn sighed. "They're running free across our lands, unchecked. At least, that's what Lord Eomer is saying." He looked at her thoughtful face and asked solemnly, "Did you lose anyone?"

What he really wanted to ask was 'did you lose a husband' but he thought that would be a bit inappropriate. He really didn't want to bring her into town all beat up and then end up getting slugged by her husband.

She responded quicker than he had anticipated. "No. I am alone. I don't have a family. Or a husband."

Rannyn noted that Threwen had added that last little detail on, as if she needed to clarify it. He only nodded in response. They sat in silence for a while until she posed her own question.

"What about you? Do you have a family?" _Or a wife?_ She wanted to ask this but kept that little question to herself.

He laughed. "Ah, turned the tables have we? Now I'm the one being interrogated!" He laughed again and then responded, smiling, "No, it's just me. Well, me and Isidien."

Rannyn noticed that she seemed a bit alarmed at this response.

_If he's married I want to smack him because he should've taken me home last night if that's the case. Him coming into town with me this morning could start rumors. ._

"Who is that?" she asked quickly, waiting for his reply.

He calmly motioned toward his horse that was grazing lazily by the camp, unaware of the weight she was already carrying in the form of bags and bags of supplies.

Threwen breathed a sigh of relief, although she didn't know why. She was the last person to care about stupid rumors. If she ever stayed in one place for very long they always started whispering about her. She normally just shrugged it off.

Rannyn decided to abandon the idea of a large breakfast since Threwen didn't seem like the most talkative person. He and his new female companion broke camp and were soon outside Edoras.



Threwen hadn't talked much during the ride, though that was no surprise to Rannyn. He asked her where she lived and she merely pointed to a small cottage that was located near the Golden Hall.

He dropped her off and then left. Threwen thought she was finally rid of the pesky Rider, but she was never more wrong!

Threwen piddled about her cottage for the rest of that day. Her head often ached causing her to rest often. She couldn't lose her health, not now. Too much was at stake.

_Maybe being in bad health is a good thing. It would give me an excuse not to go on with it… No, that's too risky. I can't._

Since she refused to answer the door, along with the 'do not disturb' sign on the front gate, she figured she would have a restful day. After a while people stopped trying to welcome her and then they just ignored her all together.

_I should've thought of the sign idea earlier this week. Then maybe I'd have less bread to deal with…_

Since she had taken all these measures to get people to leave her alone, you can imagine her surprise at hearing a very loud banging on her door. Even more shocking than the fact that she actually answered it was who she found standing at her doorstep- a healer, accompanied by none other than Rannyn, Rider of the Riddermark!

"What are you doing here!" she demanded, still a bit caught off guard.

Rannyn merely grinned. "I said I was going to get you a doctor," he said.

Threwen frowned. "I told you, I can take care of myself!" she exclaimed.

The healer ignored their quarrel and quickly entered the small cottage. He looked about, all the while clucking his tongue at her dirty house. She had been in the process of cleaning it before she was so _rudely_ interrupted…

She followed the two men with her eyes, not wanting them to chance upon anything amongst her belongings that would arouse their suspicion. She was still a bit bewildered at the whole situation. The healer seemed to be more concerned with her living conditions than with her.

He was an old man with a long white beard to match the snowy tuft of hair that was sticking out on the top of his head. He finally turned toward her and nodded.

It took a moment for Threwen to realize that he was nodding to someone behind her. And who else could it be but Rannyn? He put a strong hand on her shoulder and propelled her to a chair. For some reason she did not feel the need to retaliate, as she normally would have with anyone else.

The odd old man inspected the lump on her head, along with the deep bruise across her right cheek. He discovered that she also had a sprained wrist, which made sense to Threwen since it had been ailing her since she woke up that morning. The ride into Edoras hadn't really helped much.

Finally he declared her perfectly fine except for being a bit banged up from the ordeal. He told her she should probably get some rest just in case the knock to the head was more severe than he had thought. Threwen only nodded. She was listening alright, but who said she had to follow anyone's instructions?

Except that's what got her into this little situation in the first place- challenging her orders. She should know that it's dangerous not to listen to her employer. The bash on her cheek was proof.

Finally the healer left…except Rannyn stayed, much to Threwen's annoyance. Why did he need to stick around? Hadn't she made it clear that she didn't need assistance, that she was perfectly fine on her own?

It soon became apparent that he wasn't intending to leave anytime soon. He pulled up a chair and sat on it backwards, resting his arms on the back of the chair, facing her. They both sat, looking at each for a while, until Threwen broke the awkward silence.

"What are you still doing here?" she asked in what she knew was a rude tone. After all, he had saved her the night before…

But he only grinned at this question. "I don't know you very well, but I do know you have absolutely no intention of following the doctor's instructions. I'm not leaving until you've drank some tea and gone to bed."

Threwen stared at this strange young man. Who did he think he was?

After a few moments of looking intently at each other, Rannyn finally decided to take action. He got up, found a kettle and fixed the tea the apothecary had left her. He set it down on the table.

"I'm not leaving until you drink this." He looked at her.

She scowled and said, "Then you'll be here for quite a while."

"Very well. I'd better make us some lunch, too."

**A/N: I appreciate reviews, but don't need them to survive.**


	4. The Advantage

**A/N: 'Nother one.**

Threwen glared at Rannyn from over the rim of her mug. Stupid tea. It didn't even taste that good. Actually it was stupid Threwen, since it was her own fault for not following orders. She knew the consequences of not following orders.

_Then why did you do that?_ she asked herself. _You know what happens and yet you said something you knew you'd regret. The dark riders are not people to be trifled with. You've encountered them before_. She sighed.

Rannyn watched her carefully. Threwen didn't like being under eyes like that. It made her uncomfortable for many different reasons. Those eyes made her feel like her secrets were written all over her face. Of course she knew this wasn't true. She was very good at hiding secrets. She had been doing so for a long time.

It also made her uncomfortable about her appearance. She was suddenly aware of the huge bruise on her face, not to mention her tossled blonde hair. She discreetly ran her fingers through her hair, pretending like it was a nervous habit or subconscious thing.

Rannyn cleared his throat, interrupting her thoughts. "Threwen…" he started.

"What?" she demanded, having been put in a foul mood. She hated being conscious of her appearance…

"What exactly _were_ you doing out there?" he asked, looking her straight in the eye.

She cringed. She _knew_ he was going to ask that sooner or later. "I was just taking a trip. Fresh air, you know."

This was true. She had gone out for some fresh air. He hadn't asked her what had caused her to end up on the ground unconscious. Therefore she didn't tell him. Not that she would even if he asked…

He sighed, obviously frustrated with her. "Then how did you end up on the ground unconscious?"

_Oh bother!_

She had to think about that one. "I told you, my horse reared."

"Well something must've scared her."

"Yep."

Rannyn ran a hand through his blonde hair. He finally stood up and said, "I've been gone long enough. The Riders should be getting back soon." He put on his cloak and walked out, glancing back at her when he reached the door.

"Be sure to take it easy, alright?" he said.

"Sure."

Glad he was gone, Threwen shut the door and leaned against it heavily. What a trying day. She hadn't planned on so many people being aware of her existence, especially someone as high up as a Rider of the Riddermark. This could be bad.

_But maybe it's not that bad. I could use it to my gain._

The more she thought of it the more she was glad this had happened. She now had an advantage and she was now able to formulate a plan. She could now carry out her orders.

**End Note: Sorry it's so short. I just came to an ending point. Please review.**


	5. Secret Meetings and Confused Feelings

**A/N: Read. **

_Deep breaths. Deep breaths help. Breath in. Breath out. Just breath…_

Threwen kept repeating this over and over in her mind. She was about to make the first step in her plan. She pushed open the heavy doors to the Golden Hall, automatically aware of all eyes on her. She had already gotten directions from the guards about where to find him. She just had to get there.

She scanned the room, found where she wanted to go, and started walking, all the while keeping her eyes on the exit. She walked behind a couple of pillars, receiving a couple of watchful stares and hearing a few whispers. This was normal. Threwen turned a corner and went through a doorway, only to be stopped by a guard. All was going according to plan.

"I'm afraid I have to ask where you're going, miss," he said gruffly. He had a reddish brown beard and longer hair. His eyes were kind but stern.

Threwen put on a façade of being a little lost and confused. "Um, I'm looking for the Rider, Rannyn, sir." She glanced around the room timidly, hoping everyone was buying it. They were.

The guard's eyes softened, him finally noticing the ever fading bruise on her right cheek. It had healed a lot in the past few weeks. "Oh, it's you. Go right ahead. He's talking with Lord Eomer."

Threwen nodded and quietly passed by the guard, making sure to smile at him, hoping her green eyes were glowing. She flicked a look toward the throne. Théoden looked like he had aged decades in the last few months. She also noticed his advisor. He caught her glance. She looked forward again.

Through the door was a room that contained only a few people. They were all men, most of them fair-haired, the majority going through a large pile of papers and maps. Threwen picked out her quarry and made a point of memorizing his position and where he was. She turned and went through another door in the room, her footsteps silent as a mouse's.

This room was darker and looked like someone's study. The desk was dusty, along with everything else in the room. She positioned herself in a place that would allow her to see the entrance and settled down, waiting for someone. He should be there any minute now.

"Threwen?"

Her eyes widened. This was _not_ the visitor she had been expecting.

"What are you doing in here? They told me you asked for me."

"Um, Rannyn, I, uh..." she stuttered, hoping her comrade who was missing in action would notice that something went wrong with the plan and stay away.

"Are you okay?" he asked, concerned.

_Drat it all! _Threwen became aware of the look in Rannyn's eyes, something she had seen there before but couldn't place. She glanced uneasily toward the door. "Um, I was just going to ask you when you were leaving. I was going to pack you some food for your trip since you've been so kind to me and…um…all that…"

_Can we say awkward?_

Rannyn looked touched, apparently thinking he had broken through her hard shell. "Oh, well, we're leaving in the morning." He looked at her and then said, "Why did you come in here?"

Threwen bit her lip. How was she going to get out of this one? "Um, I was just looking around. I'm sorry."

His stern eyes softened and he said, "Oh, it's alright. This place is just a dusty junk pile anyway. It used to be the King's personal study." Threwen sensed sadness in him. "But not anymore…" He trailed off, staring into space, into the past.

Threwen shuffled her feet. She hated it when people looked back, into their memories. She preferred to just look at the present. Her past wasn't something she wanted to relive. She cleared her throat.

Rannyn looked up, suddenly aware of himself. "I'll stop by your cottage in the morning."

She nodded and quickly left, taking one last look at the blonde Rider. He didn't suspect anything. That was good. That was all part of the plan. She had deliberately asked for him so that in case something went wrong she could say she had come to visit him. Apparently people were talking about how he had been watching out for her for a while and how they'd become friends. Threwen used this for her benefit.

She hurried out into the cold air once again. She decided not to go for her nightly ride around Edoras. It was best that she stay home for that night, in case her missed companion tried to contact her.

Threwen had been right. Upon getting inside the door she was aware of a piece of paper tacked to her table. A shiver ran up her spine when she realized anyone could get in her cottage at any time. She picked up the paper and saw only two words scribbled on it.

_Stables. Midnight. _

She leaned her head on the wall, the note still clutched in her hand. So that was it. Her fate would be decided at midnight.

**End Note: I got nothing.**


	6. Midnight

**Note: I'm sooo getting into this. Tehe. Read!**

"Asimma, what should I do?"

Threwen had been quietly whispering to her horse for about a half an hour now. It would be midnight soon. She wondered if he would be late.

The stables were a rather creepy place to be at night, she noticed. There were some spider webs strung between the beams and she'd made the mistake of running into one earlier. Luckily her mare made her a little more comfortable but discussing such matters in such a dark place was a little…chilling.

The blonde wrapped her cloak more tightly around her. She took a deep breath, the smell of hay and animals filling her nose. Her thoughts wandered to other things, particularly one person. She wanted him to be safe and to take care of himself, but why did she care? She was supposed to keep a distance from other people. He was just a pawn. She had to remind herself of that.

She jumped when she heard a noise. She turned to see a shadowy figure in the doorway. Her heart starting ramming against the inside of her chest, but she kept still and calm.

"What're you doing in here at this late hour, missy?"

It was the keeper of the stables. He was an older man who Threwen had seen many times since she visited the stables often in the months she'd been in Edoras now. She didn't even know his name but she felt like the old man was kind and she didn't have to worry about him.

"I was just visiting Asimma. I couldn't sleep." Keep it short and simple.

He smiled, his face wrinkling. "Oh, alright. I just wanted to make sure no one was trying to steal one of my horses. You never can be too careful these days. There have been more and more orc raids lately, you know."

Threwen nodded but didn't say anything. He was right. The Riders had had their hands full of late. They had taken it upon themselves to slaughter every orc in Rohan which is no easy task. Lord Théodred, son of the King, and his cousin, Lord Eomer, were among those who were fighting.

"You take care now." The man turned to leave but not without giving Threwen a kind smile.

She put on a weak smile in return.

After the stable door shut she fell back to whispering to Asimma. Despite the fact that the horse couldn't answer her she felt like she had all the answers. They were such powerful creatures and Threwen had a feeling that Asimma could sense what she felt, the mare could understand her thoughts.

She sighed. "Asimma, what should I do?" She'd ask the horse this before and she knew she was just repeating herself with no hope of answer. "Am I doing what's…" She didn't finish.

_Am I doing what's right?_ she asked herself. Deep down she knew the answer…and she didn't like it.

_Creak_.

"You're late," Threwen said, as she sensed a presence behind her. This time it was the person she had been expecting.

He didn't answer her question but went straight to business. "What happened?"

She shrugged, patting Asimma's nose. "The plan was jeopardized. You're lucky I had a backup in case something like that happened." She could feel him move closer.

"Lucky? I wouldn't call that lucky."

She shrugged again. "What are the arrangements?"

"We need them gone."

Threwen had to keep in a gasp. Gone? "How?" she asked.

"I have my ways. What I need you to do is get close to them. Find out what's going on. Get on the inside."

"I can't do that."

She could feel him smile slyly. "Yes you can."

"How?" Then she remembered. She whirled around, about to say something and then stopped when she realized how dark and menacing his eyes looked. She looked at the ground. "Alright. What then?"

"I'm already on the inside. Everything is working so far. Once they're gone there's nothing left to stop us. We just have to wait for the opportunity."

"What might that be?"

He smiled again, but it wasn't a pleasant look. "You need to find out where they're going tomorrow. Then leave the rest up to me. I'll contact the master and he will set it up. The trap will be set."

Threwen closed her eyes. She hated this. She hated him. How had she gotten herself into this? She opened her eyes and saw him preparing to leave. She was about to breathe a sigh of relief when she realized something.

_I don't know his real name! How am I going to find him again without knowing his real name?_ The only knowledge she had of him was that he was on the inside and had elevated himself to a prestigious position quickly, with the help of her master.

"Who should I ask for if I need to contact you again?"

He stopped at the door and turned his head slowly, the light from the lantern giving his pasty white face an eerie glow. "Gríma."

**End Note: sigh I love cliffhangers.**


	7. The Messenger

**Note: Hope you guys liked the last chapter. Anyway here you go.**

_Um…bread…yeah, bread is good…and some vegetables like carrots…and apples…what else do men eat on long trips?_

Threwen scurried about her cottage, packing food for a particular Rider that would be leaving soon. Having never done this before she was a little lost.

_What would I bring? Hey, now there's a thought. Men probably don't have taste any different from me!_

Things went a lot smoother after this little discovery.

_Cheese! Rannyn loves cheese! He has it every time he visits. _

She stopped. _Every time he visits…_ It was true he visited her a lot, every week. She wouldn't call him a friend since she made a point of not having any friends, but he definitely cared about her. She could tell. He wouldn't have kept contact with her for months now if he didn't. But she was on a mission and she couldn't afford to have any emotional ties.

Threwen jumped when she heard a knock on her door. She ran her fingers through her hair and quickly answered the door.

"Good morning." Rannyn grinned down at her. Threwen was tall but Rannyn was still taller than her.

She grinned back, although inside her stomach was churning. "Hi."

He stood there for a second and then said, "So…are you going to let me in?"

Threwen remembered herself and opened the door wide enough for him to enter. With his back to her she took a deep breath and plunged in.

"So…I packed you some food." She pointed to the pack on the table.

His brown eyes brightened when he saw this. "Great!" He rummaged through it and inspected the food she had packed. Still looking through the bag, he said absentmindedly, "You know, you'd made someone a good wife."

Threwen turned red and when Rannyn realized what he'd said he did too! She looked at the ground and shuffled her feet.

_He's a pawn, a way to get to the goal, nothing but an instrument, a tool._ Threwen repeated this over and over again in her head. She had to keep that in mind. Follow orders. Get in, get done, get out. Simple as that.

_Simple? Ha!_

Rannyn cleared his throat and shouldered the pack. "I need to get going," he said quietly.

Threwen nodded and then said, "Where are you going to be headed?"

He seemed to hesitate in his answer. Threwen started to get nervous. If he didn't tell her that would be bad, horrible even. That would mean that the plan would go wrong. She would be blamed. The worst case scenarios started running through her mind.

But he told her, eventually. She was actually a little surprised that he trusted her. Most of the Riders only told their wives where they were going, if they had any. A lot were unattached. Either that or their families had been killed in the raids.

Rannyn headed out the door and then stopped, turning back around. "Thanks."

She nodded, looking down. She thought he'd left and was daring to look up and watch him go when suddenly she felt arms around her. He was hugging her! She was not only surprised but completely shocked. No one had hugged her in years! Let alone a man she hardly knew.

_Well, alright, a man you do know but don't want to; A man who is just a device to carry out your mission; A man who should be keeping his distance; A man who you should be telling to keep his distance._

Except Threwen hadn't had to fight off anyone for years now. This had never been a problem before. She simply blinked not sure what to do. But it was only a quick hug, kind of a way of saying farewell…for now.

And Threwen found herself hoping he would come back safely.



"I have the location."

Threwen tossed the piece of paper with the position scribbled on it onto the dusty desk. Now that there were no Riders to interrupt they used their original meeting place. It helped that Rannyn had shown Threwen an easier way of getting inside that was less conspicuous.

Gríma smiled wickedly. His pale hands slowly reached for it. But then he stopped and said, "It needs to be taken to the master."

Threwen frowned. "Can't you communicate with him through…you know…?" She motioned in the direction of the throne room.

Gríma shook his head. "No. I need you to take it to him. I have no further use for you. You need to receive more orders from him. But you have to be quick. You need to leave right away so you can get there before they can reach…"

"I know, I know. But why must I do it? Don't you have someone better?"

Gríma eyed her and then said, "Aren't you a messenger?"

Threwen clenched her teeth. She hated that title. She thought she had been elevated to a better position with this job. Apparently not.

Gríma plastered on that unnatural smile and said, "I thought so. Now you take this," he handed her the note, "and go right away. Get it?"

"Got it."

"Good."



It was a hard ride but Threwen made it, she hoped in time. She entered the tall tower, knowing her way around very well. She made her way to the door she had been through so many times.

_Knock._ _Knock-knock_.

A voice boomed. "Who is it?"

Threwen took a breath.

"The Messenger."

**End Note: Thanks for reading.**


	8. The White Wizard

**Note: Just a thanks to faithful readers.**

Threwen was mesmerized by the swirling oranges and blacks in the orb, the colors slowly forming a shape, a…an eye. She cringed at the picture. She hated it when he did this. He didn't care if he was communicating with his superior while she was there. Besides, she didn't matter. She was, after all, only a messenger.

She dug at the ground with her shoe, even though the flooring was made of stone. Maybe if she dug hard enough she would dig all the way to the other side of the world. Things might be less hard that way.

Finally he noticed her. "The events are set in motion."

She silently and elusively rolled her eyes, hoping he hadn't seen this gesture. Just like him to be so eloquent in his wording.

He motioned her to come closer to him, his long fingernails seemingly scraping the air, probably able to cut the tension between them with their knife like points. "I have a proposition for you."

Threwen gulped. "A proposition?"

He smiled and she suddenly thought that all that white did not suit him at all. He should be cloaked in all black showing people right out that he was evil, instead of the deceptive robes he wore now.

"Yes," he said, his voice echoing in the large room. "I would like you to stay in Edoras, keep an eye on things. Gríma may need your help should something go wrong. Watch them." He stopped and looked at her, his black eyes glinting.

Threwen squirmed under his gaze. The wizard thoroughly creeped her out, that was for sure. "Yes, sir," she said meekly.

An odd look passed over his face and then he said, "I want to show you something."



Mud. Everywhere. And it was moving. Shapes were forming in the muck that was down in the bowels of Isengard and the sickening beings that were being created made Threwen want to gag.

_Okay, why is he showing me this?_

The White Wizard held Threwen by the shoulders from behind her and surveyed his work. "Do you see?"

Threwen cleared her throat and shook her head. Yes, she saw the grotesque images before her and the mutilated creatures that would soon become his minions but she did not see the point in him showing her.

The corners of his mouth turned upward in an evil grin. "They are my army."

She was confused. "Army? For what?"

"Rohan."



_Smack! Splat!_

Taking your anger and frustration out on the dough for your next loaf of bread was very helpful. Very loud, but very helpful. Threwen had been back in Edoras for a couple of days and yet the Riders hadn't returned. She was worried. And then she realized that she shouldn't be worried because she wasn't supposed to be emotionally attached.

She sighed. _It's so hard! _She banged the dough hard on the wooden surface, aggravated to no end with her current situation. _Deception, lies, complications!_

_Whack!_

"You know, I think you're being too hard on it."

Threwen's eyes widened at the voice behind her. She whirled around.

"Rannyn!"

He was leaning against the doorpost, grinning. But he looked tired. There was a weariness in his eyes, a sadness that she had never seen before. "Hi," he said.

She rushed up to him, eager to find out what had happened. After all, she _had_ been the one who had ratted out their location to none other than the White Wizard himself. She gently touched his arm, hesitant for any physical contact whatsoever. She didn't want to give him the wrong idea, after all.

He winced at her touch and she looked down, only to gasp.

"Your arm!" she exclaimed, inspecting the gash on his forearm.

He smiled weakly. "Guess this one didn't go so well." He looked down at it. "It's actually not that bad. Just put some dirt in it and the blood dries up."

Threwen wrinkled her nose. "You need to clean it out."

He threw her a look and said mockingly, "I don't need any help. I'm fine."

She narrowed her eyes and went to get a cloth to wipe it out, directing him to a chair. While she tended to him she quizzed him on what had happened, the events not to her liking.

"Ambush," he said simply, taking a sip of the cider she had given him.

"How many were lost?" she asked quietly.

"Many," came the reply. "Lord Théodred…" He stopped. "Lord Théodred is badly wounded," he said gravely.

Threwen gulped, feeling her stomach become a mass of knotted up guilt.

Rannyn got an angry look in his eye. "We get slaughtered while the King sits around and does nothing!" He slammed his mug down on the table, making Threwen jump.

She knew this was true. But she also knew that this was all part of the plan. The plan that she had helped with. She said nothing.



Threwen settled herself into the hay, expecting to have to wait again for Gríma, who had been late last time. But she was wrong.

"It is done."

Threwen turned to him, his appearance once again making her cringe. _What a creepy little man_.

"What is done?" she asked, although she was pretty sure she knew the answer.

"He is dead," he replied, a menacing look on his face. "And they are gone."

**End Note: Ooh, I just love the drama! Tehe. **


	9. Banishment and Strangers

**A/N: Ooh, I'm soo digging this story. Read!**

_Dearest Threwen,_

_We've been banished. That snake, Gríma Wormtongue, has poisoned King Théoden against us and now we must flee Edoras under penalty of death. Don't worry. We'll be fine. Hopefully I will be able to send you word of how we are doing in the future. Be safe._

_-Rannyn_

Threwen clutched the quickly scribbled note tightly. Of course she had already known the majority of the information when she found the piece of paper neatly placed in the container where she kept her cheese. Rannyn liked cheese and she noticed he had snitched a bit. But she already knew. Like how the Riders of Rohan were now banished from Edoras and could not return. Gríma had said that he had accused Eomer of 'war mongering' and had gotten an order for them to leave. Soon after, Théodred, son of the King, passed on to join his forefathers.

It had been some time since all this occurred and nothing much had happened since then. The whole place was utterly bleak. It was like everyone had lost all optimism.

She had tried to bake but the banging of bread dough on wood made her think of him. So she opted to wash a few things. This didn't work so well either as it gave her too much time to think about everything. She hated thinking, pondering about things that had gone by. Like I've said before, her past was not something she wanted to reflect on.

She decided that the dirt floor needed sweeping, although deep down she knew that this was pointless. Why was there a need to sweep dirt? But nevertheless out came her broom and she began to sweep. This didn't last long though.

No sooner had Threwen opened the door to sweep out the last few bits of straw that had been tracked in did she see her. The fair Lady, Shieldmaiden of Rohan, standing just outside the Golden Hall, looking toward the horizon. Threwen couldn't help but feel guilty. It was her own fault that her beloved cousin had died and her brother vanished. Now all she had was Gríma, and Threwen knew how lovely his company was.

And just as quickly as the woman was there, she was gone. Apparently she went back in while the blonde peasant had been daydreaming. But Threwen needn't have worried about no longer having a diversion. Just a little while later, they entered town.

Four strangers rode solemnly through Edoras- an elf, a dwarf, and two men, one old, the other a little younger. It was the younger man that caught her eye. He had some flecks of grey in his short scraggly beard and he looked a bit tired. But it was his eyes, his eyes that caught her attention.

For as long as she had been in Edoras, Threwen had noticed that the look in people's eyes had gone from bad to worse. They'd given up. But not this man. Yes, there was weariness and sadness, deeper sadness than she had yet seen, sadness resulting from a past maybe worse than her own. But there was a glimmer in those eyes. A glimmer of something that had long since disappeared in Rohan- hope.

He looked at her. And then he turned away.



Noises. A commotion. And it was coming from the Golden Hall. Threwen looked up from the mending she had been doing to see a flying body go down the steps.

_That body looks somewhat familiar…_

Threwen's blood went cold. It was Gríma. Her ally, creepy though he may be, was now lying at the bottom of the stone stairs, groveling at the feet of…of the King.

_What happened? How did…Wha…?_

Threwen's mind started to race wildly. No. The plan. This was not going according to the plan. The King, he was no longer under the spell…what was going to happen now?

She watched as the King slowly walked down the stairs, Gríma shrinking away from him. Théoden looked angry, a burning anger toward the tiny white man. He swung his heavy sword, his eyes flashing…

_Oh no!_

But nothing happened. The blade did not come down. Threwen's jaw dropped as the same man, the one whom she'd seen before, stopped Théoden just in time. Gríma took his opportunity. Faster than she had ever seen the little minion move before he was out of there, galloping out of the city gates at full speed.

Threwen felt like her world had just shrunk. She was now a spy in Edoras…alone.



From the bits and pieces she heard from everyone around her, Threwen discovered what had happened. Gandalf. The wizard she had heard of, in stories from her childhood and then later on from the White Wizard, was now in Edoras and was aiding the King. Gríma was discovered. Threwen was alone.

And the man. The man, she found out, was Aragorn, son of Arathorn. There were many rumors about him. Some spoke of a rumor that he was merely a Ranger, one of those dark men who protect. But then others said things more astonishing. He was a King. He was the heir to the throne of Gondor and he was in Rohan.

Threwen desperately wondered what to do. Should she go to the wizard? Would her master want her to stay there?

A few days after the arrival she heard a knock at her door. She wiped her hands on her apron, having been preparing herself some soup, and went to the door, peering through a crack in the wood to see who could possibly be visiting her. The only people she ever talked to were the stable master and Gríma, and her meetings with the latter were only secretly.

It turned out that her visitor was probably the last person on the face of the planet that she had expected.

Aragorn, son of Arathorn was standing outside her door.



"Tell me again how you got this?"

Threwen carefully poured him a cup of hot cider, yet another piece of paper lying on her table. He had his boots up on a stool and he was smoking a pipe. It was a strange scent, some sort of weed that she had never smelled before.

He laughed at her inquisitiveness. "We met the Riders on our way here. One of them asked me to give this to a girl named Threwen if we ever made it to Edoras." He looked at her, a sparkle in her eye.

Threwen settled herself down at the table and picked up the note.

_Threwen,_

_I hope you are well. We are patrolling the borders of Rohan, still keeping our country safe. Please be careful! Edoras is not what it used to be. Stay away from Gríma Wormtongue and watch yourself. _

_Being away for so long has made me realize how much I miss you. I know you still may not totally trust me, but I want you to know that I care and I hope that when I finally return to the city you'll still be there, waiting for me._

_-Rannyn_

Threwen sniffed. This was not what she had intended. He cared for her. But he couldn't. He shouldn't.

_I need to leave. I need to get out_.

She became aware of Aragorn's watchful eyes, studying her reaction. She quickly tucked the letter into the pocket of her apron.

"Is he your husband?"

Threwen's eyes widened. "No!" she said quickly.

He smirked but said nothing, only removed his feet from the stool and got up to leave. But he turned at the door.

'Thank you for the cider."

Threwen smiled at him. "Thank you for the note."

After she closed the door she went into action. Some food, some clothes, an extra cloak, a blanket, and anything else that she could carry with her went quickly into a bag. She was getting out.

**End Note: It's getting good! I cannot wait to post the next chapter. You guys are going to kill me for the cliffhanger.**


	10. Two Riders

**A/N: Tehe.**

"Going out for the night?"

The kindly stable keeper smiled up at Threwen, his grey eyes warm. She was silent. She tightened the saddle, attached the saddlebag and pulled herself up onto Asimma's back. She looked out the door and started out.

"You be safe now. Take care."

She smiled at him. "Thank you. For everything."

And with that she was gone.



Rannyn closed his eyes and inhaled, the scent of the grass of the plains filling his nose, making him homesick.

_I wonder if she misses me,_ he thought. _Wait. She probably doesn't miss me. She doesn't even trust me, not completely_.

He sighed. Ever since that day when he found a stray horse and its rider on the ground outside of Edoras his life had gotten so much more complicated.

_Where did she come from?_ he asked himself, frustrated. _Why won't she tell me anything! I've been visiting her for months now and I still barely know anything about her!_

"Rannyn!"

He turned, hearing his name called by Eomer. "Yes, Lord Eomer?"

The horse-lord looked sternly at the young man. "Day dreaming again?"

Rannyn looked sheepish. "Um…"

Eomer's eyes softened. "Are we homesick, Rannyn? I wouldn't have expected this from you."

Rannyn shook his head, his gaze at his hands, which were fiddling with the reigns of his horse.

"All the years I've known you you've been one of my best. But your head has been elsewhere ever since we left Edoras." Eomer studied him and then a light went on in his head. He cleared his throat and said in a deep voice. "Rider!"

He looked up.

"These men miss their families. They'd like to hear from them. So I have a mission for you!"

The young blonde looked at him, puzzled. _What in the world is he talking about?_

Eomer smiled faintly and then said, "Why don't you be our messenger? Check things out in Edoras. I have faith in you."

Rannyn brightened at this. He couldn't be serious!

"Go to her, son."

Then the Lord turned and the rest of the group started to gallop away. Rannyn pressed his heels into Isidien and the horse knew what to do. They were off in a heartbeat.



Threwen decided that she should head for Fangorn Forest. She was going into hiding and no one would dare going in there, not even the White Wizard.

She stopped herself at that thought. She supposed he wasn't really 'The White Wizard' anymore, not with this new Gandalf. Then what was he?

_Well, whatever he is, he no longer controls me. There's too much danger. Too much has gone wrong. I'm getting out._

She'd heard the stories about Fangorn. She'd heard the rumors of the trees coming alive and talking. But she knew all about Fangorn. And she wasn't afraid. Threwen knew every nook and cranny and no one was going to find her.

She thought she was making good time when she saw something in the distance. She squinted, trying to see what it was. For a brief second her heart leapt at the sight.

_Could it be…?_

But then her vision cleared and she knew. She knew exactly what was approaching her across the plains at a neck breaking speed. Though she didn't know how they'd found out so quickly, she knew. And she wasn't about to let them catch her.

Her horse knew immediately what her rider wanted her to do and she took off, angling away from the rider, but not towards Edoras. She could no longer see the city and didn't intend on going back. She needed to get to some sort of covering. And only one thought had entered her mind.

_Fangorn_.



Rannyn was getting closer. He was almost in view of Edoras when he had a strange feeling that he needed to be going in the opposite direction. His horse stopped him and started to paw at the ground, causing Rannyn to have to grip the reigns tightly to control her.

"Isidien! What is wrong with you?" he asked angrily.

She whinnied and finally overcame his grasp, turning completely around and starting to head away from Edoras. The reigns flew out of Rannyn's hands and he had to cling for dear life as they flew across the fields.

"Isidien! Slow down! Edoras is the other way!"

But the horse wasn't listening anymore. She was taking him to where he would see something. Rannyn soon found out what he was meant to see. They got to the top of a hill and he saw.

There were two riders, one looking dark and menacing, galloping toward the other at full speed. The other seemed to be frantically riding away, trying to put as much distance between the two as possible, but the dark one soon caught up with the rider and the horse, pulling them both to a halt.

Rannyn gasped.

"Threwen!"



"Your master commands you to stop!"

Threwen breathed heavily and Asimma panted. She should've known. The White Wizard's…

_Saruman's_, she corrected herself. Saruman's Dark Riders were known for their speed. They had never lost their prey. They were the enforcers. And Threwen was now within his grasp.

She couldn't see his face but this didn't surprise her. They always kept themselves covered. "You are not to leave Edoras!" he growled.

With a defiant look in her eye she called to him, "Too late! I'm gone!"

"You are a servant of the wizard."

He pulled up next to her and looked her in the eye. Threwen's courage shrank. His eyes. She had never seen a Rider's eyes, but now she wished she hadn't. Dark and penetrating, they seemed to reach deep into her soul and extinguish any hope she'd had of escape.

She closed her eyes. _No! I said was getting out. I will. I am. I am not a servant any longer. I'm not longer his Messenger!_

She clenched her teeth. "_Not anymore_," she said quietly and menacingly. Her anger seethed through her, covering up her fear of the imposing form before her.

She felt a change in him and she knew she would need to leave. Now.

But she didn't get the chance. As quick as lightening he had shoved her off her horse, her landing as hard as it had been when he'd done it long ago. But this time she didn't lose her bearings. Yes, she'd been surprised but she wasn't going to let him defeat her.

"You should've listened to your master, little one." He got off his horse and started toward her, each step resonating through the ground.

_He's trying to make you feel small, weak. Fight it!_

Threwen had a split second to wonder if he had some sort of power, bestowed upon him by the wizard, to make people feel fragile and unable to fight. It was if there was a force making her want to yield.

The Rider pounced on her, smacking her hard across the face. Threwen knew that would be a bruise, a mark once again left by his hand. But this would be the last, she decided.

She retaliated and kicked him behind the knee, causing him to fall. Threwen jumped to her feet and stood over him.

"No," she said breathlessly. "Saruman will have to find himself another pawn. I'm done."

She began to walk away, not wanting any more harm to come to either of them. This was her mistake.

"You're right," she heard him say. "You are done."

And with that she felt the piercing cold fire that is felt when the metal of a blade penetrates flesh.

**Note: MWAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA! THE EVIL CLIFF HANGER! HAHAHAHA! **


	11. The Kill

**Marie: Here ya go. Read it cuz I know u want to.**

Rannyn rushed down the hill as fast as he and Isidien could go. He had seen it all- the Rider attacking Threwen, her retaliation and then…he saw her go down.

_What if…?_

He didn't let himself think thoughts like that. He was a Rider of the Riddermark. He had been in battles with orcs. He'd survived an orc ambush with only a deep scar on his arm as a memento. He could take on whatever it was that had attacked her.

Suddenly his view was blocked.

_Urgh. These stupid hills. I didn't see this one! _

He had been up on one of the highest hills in the area and the two were farther away than he had first expected. He and his horse worked their way down into a small valley and then tried to get up the other side. He could only hope he got there in time.



Threwen cried out. The pain was searing through her. Where had he stabbed her? Her mind raced wildly. She felt the impact of the ground underneath her. In her line of vision, which was clouded slightly by the pain, she saw the Rider smile with satisfaction.

But he hadn't won. Threwen, who luckily had developed a high pain tolerance, was able to clear her mind. It seemed he no longer had a dark hold on her and she could think.

The heart. He had aimed for the heart. But he had missed. Her left shoulder was bleeding profusely but he got her in the muscles and tendons, making the mistake of missing her organs. She clutched her arm and waited, waited for her opportunity.

It came. The Rider turned his back and started toward his horse, which was standing in front of hers. The saddle bag and all its contents were just within reach.

Threwen jumped up, a throbbing ache coursing through her whole body. She grasped her sword and snuck up behind him. This was her chance to be free, once and for all.



_Stupid hills. Stupid Riders. _He paused. _Foolish Threwen. _Another thought. _Foolish Rannyn._

It struck him all of a sudden, like a punch in the stomach. He couldn't lose her. He knew, right then, that he couldn't bear it. She had gotten herself into some mess, which he guessed resulted from something in her past. He had thought her foolish.

_But you're the fool. You weren't there to protect her. And now it might be too late_.

Rannyn stopped. Too late. What if he were too late? He knew he wouldn't be able to live with it. This girl- this girl who'd turned his world upside down recently, this girl who kept her secrets bottled up inside her and would never give him a straight answer, this girl who he now couldn't get out of his head- this girl was someone he wanted to protect and be with more than anyone ever before. He'd been lonely for so long but the emptiness was gone.

_But now that you've realized this, you might've lost her._ He could've kicked himself.

Rannyn clenched his fists. _I'm not gonna let that happen._

The young Rider got a sudden burst of determination. He was not going to let her die out here.



With a brief thought of victory and a fleeting doubt of failure, Threwen lunged, throwing all the might she had left into that one swing. She had one shot and this was it.

She hit her target. The Rider didn't even see it coming. He went down with a brief cry of surprise, his head wrenching around to look her straight in the eye as she hit him. He tumbled to the ground, the weapon protruding out of his back. Threwen pulled it out when he hit the ground, a little blood smearing on her hands. He gasped once and then he was gone.

Trembling, she dropped the weapon in the grass, the world seeming to go in slow motion. Her sight went fuzzy and she looked down. His eyes, those eyes had instilled such fear in her when she saw them, were now glazed over, staring lifelessly across the hills and grass of Rohan, his blood now staining the plains where he had attempted to leave the body of a young girl.

_You just killed him. You just killed a man. And you will have to live with that for the rest of your life._

Threwen wiped her blood tainted and shaking hands on the grass around her. She walked away from the scene and clutched herself, a big black hole forming inside of her as she slowly crumpled to the ground. Her left arm and that whole side of her chest ached but she didn't even notice it. She was numb from head to toe, the scene before her forever etched in her eyes.

She was alone. She was a murderer. She had been a spy for Saruman. And now she had no home, no one to love her. She was alone.



He crested the hill and felt the weight of death in the air. He thought he was too late. A body. A body was lying by a horse, a blood covered sword next to it. Rannyn dismounted and walked slowly over to the now dead form, his heart nearly stopped. He turned it over. And gazed into the wrong face.

Bewildered he looked around. Asimma was still there but her manner wasn't quite what it was normally. It was as if she was afraid to go anywhere, to move, until her master came back.

_Threwen._

Rannyn turned at a soft thump of someone hittting the ground. There, lying a little distance away, now unconscious, was Threwen, a horrible gash in her shoulder.

_No._

He rushed to her, grasping for her hand, which still had a faint feeling of warmth to it. He pressed it to his face, his eyes started to water up a bit. He looked long and hard at her face, studying every feature.

_She can't die. She has to hold on._

He felt a horrible sorrow welling up within him. The darkness that hits someone when they think that the most important thing in their life was about to be taken away. And there was nothing that they could do about it. Despair. Shock. Desolation.

But he got a hold of his senses. He needed to verify everything. Maybe she was okay. He inspected the wound, having seen a lot of injuries after combat. The Dark Rider's sword had pierced her shoulder but nothing else. It would heal but she needed help. Fast.

After a short-lived moment of horror mixed with fear, he gently picked up her knocked around body, noticing the purple bruise on her face. He had to think back to the day he found her, the day his life had changed.

Then he stopped his short trek back to Isidien, the reality hitting him. This had happened before. That man, that thing had attacked her that day when he found her. It was the exact same looking bruise, the exact same side of the face. He had seen him hit her this time.

He shifted her weight in his arms and placed her on Isidien in front of him. He whistled for Asimma and the mare came galloping up. He headed out for Edoras. He was going to save her. No one would hurt her again.

**End Note: Now you have the resolution to the suspense. **


	12. Willow

**A/N: Well here's another chapter. This story is far from over. Enjoy. There's not really a cliffhanger but I hope you guys keep reading. **

Threwen felt her nose tickled with the sensation of the aroma of stew. She blinked her eyes open and saw only sky above her, a million stars twinkling in the vast stretch of space that is only able to be viewed on the clearest of nights.

"You gave me quite a scare."

_Rannyn!_ The handsome young man was sitting by the fire, stirring a pot of great smelling stew. The horses were grazing nearby and they seemed to be out in the middle of nowhere.

She tried to sit up, only to find that a red hot pain scorched her shoulder and left arm. She winced and fell back on what felt like a pillow, but was actually a blanket stuffed into an old shirt.

"Where are we? What happened?" Her head throbbed as things rushed back and she once again struggled to get up. "The Rider, he…his blade it…I…I killed…"

Rannyn came over next to her and gently pushed back down. He smiled soothingly at her and said, "Just rest. You've got a pretty bad wound there. We're going to head back to Edoras tomorrow."

At this Threwen really did sit up. She knew that she could not do that. "No, I need to get out of there…I can't…I…" She started breathing heavily.

Rannyn shook his head. "I need to get you help. You're pretty beat up. I just need to find a way into the city. The Riders are still banished you know…"

Threwen blinked. "No you're not."

He looked at her strangely. "What?"

Threwen sighed. She supposed she'd better fill him in on the happenings of Edoras recently. The King and Gandalf were still debating about what to do. She, of course, left out the details about her being a secret spy of Saruman and working with Gríma Wormtongue, the very man Rannyn had cautioned her about.

Rannyn seemed to brighten at hearing this. "Well that's great. We can head straight into the city and get you help and then…"

Threwen interrupted him. "No. I'm not going back."

He looked at her, puzzled. "What? Why not?" He studied her for a moment and then asked quietly, "Does this have something to do with the Rider who attacked you?"

Threwen swallowed hard and then nodded slightly. She did _not_ want to go into this, especially with Rannyn. She was scared he would be disappointed in her or angry or…

_Wait…why do I care? I don't have to tell him anything. Besides it doesn't matter. He…he doesn't…matter…_

But no matter how hard she tried to push any emotion for him out of her head it still came rushing back. Here he was again, taking care of her after she'd been attacked out on the plains of Rohan and he cared for her. No matter how much she told herself that he did not matter to her…he did.

"So," Rannyn said after an awkward silence. "Where, then, do you plan on going?"

She looked up. He hadn't tried to convince her she needed to go back to Edoras. Why? "Um…well…"

He smirked. "You weren't planning on telling me, were you?"

Threwen shook her head.

He stoked the fire quietly, making Threwen squirm at his calm manner. "Well, we'll set out tomorrow and you can lead the way."

She turned to look him straight in the eye. He was sitting next to her and looked right back. "You're…we're…what?"

He was dead serious. "Where ever you go, I'm following. I'm going with you."



Threwen bandaged her shoulder and cleaned it out. Though it was painful she knew it would help it. She'd had to take care of herself for a while. She detailed to Rannyn where they were headed and they were about to set out when Rannyn made a realization.

"Wait…we're going…but that's the way to…"

Threwen nodded and finished for him.

"Fangorn Forest."



By afternoon they had reached the edge of the woods. Rannyn seemed nervous about entering a wood that he had heard so many dark rumors about. Threwen, on the other hand, was a pillar of composure. This place had been her home once. She wasn't afraid.

Rannyn cleared his throat as they entered. "So, um, telling me again why you want to come here."

Threwen sighed. "I lived here for a while." She ducked underneath a tree branch. "Watch out for…"

_Whack!_

She whirled around to see Rannyn on the ground, his face red. His horse calmly bit a piece of old grass nearby. Threwen couldn't contain herself. She burst out laughing.

He scowled at her. "It's not funny!" he rubbed his cheek tenderly.

She held out her hand, the one that didn't hurt, so that he could get up. He glared at her but was about to take her hand when his eyes widened at something behind her. He fumbled for his sword and yelled at her.

"Threwen, look out! Behind you!" He scrambled to his feet, his eyes open wide, his trembling hand clutching his sword.

Threwen calmly turned around and saw what he was gaping at and then sighed. "Rannyn…"

"Don't worry, just go. I'll…um…take care of this…" He gulped and motioned for her to leave.

"Rannyn!"

"Seriously, Threwen, you're injured and this thing is…big…"

She threw up her hands. "Rannyn! Stop!"

He looked at her, puzzled. "What?"

She motioned at the hulking thing behind her. It closely resembled a tree, a willow, but it had eyes and a mouth and was moving. It had moved up behind Threwen and was now eyeing Rannyn with a raised eyebrow…er…leaf thingy situated about his eye…

"This," she pointed him, "is Willow. He is an Ent."

Rannyn looked from one to the other, Threwen's calm expression and the Ent's strange appearance. "An…an Ent?"

Threwen nodded. "A tree herder." She smiled at the creature.

"Miss…hroom…Threwen," he said slowly, a sparkle in his eyes. "Welcommme, hmmm, back."

**End note: Well then. You have met the Ent, Willow. Now, how does Threwen know an Ent? How come he seems on friendly terms with her?**


	13. Memories and Decisions

**Marie: A few subtle hints about Threwen's past. Not much but a little bit. The next chapters will get good though. Tehe. **

Threwen breathed deeply, the smell of the old forest bringing back the memories of when she first lived there. She watched Rannyn step over a stream, the Entwash. She had to smile at his attitude toward her Ent friend. He seemed a little scared of the creature. Threwen remembered how she'd had the same reaction when she'd met him.

Her companion pulled her aside while Willow went on ahead. Threwen knew where they were headed, but Rannyn seemed anxious about the whole situation.

"Where are we going?" he whispered to her.

She frowned. "Willow's home, where else?" She started to continue to follow the Ent, but Rannyn stopped her again.

"Are you sure we can trust him?" He eyed the tree-like figure that was ahead of them.

Threwen sighed. "Rannyn, I told you, Willow is my friend. I met him a couple of years ago when I lived here."

Rannyn was puzzled. Who was this girl? She had a sword wound in her shoulder from some Dark Rider he knew nothing about and she was wanting to stay in Fangorn Forest, a place she had lived in for a while…where she knew an Ent. Named Willow.

He shook his head. She certainly had a strange past. If only he knew more about it.



"Willow, may I please talk with you?"

The strange group had reached Willow's home, which was located not too far from the edge of the forest. Rannyn had settled himself down near a tree and was smoking a pipe. He looked a bit uneasy about the whole place, looking about him cautiously as if he were expecting something to jump out at him.

The Ent looked down at her with kind eyes. "I was…hmm…going to ask you…hroom…the same thing…hooom…"

She smiled up at him and quickly went over to Rannyn. "We're going for a walk. Don't get too close to the trees."

And with that they headed out.

_Don't get too close to the trees? What's that supposed to mean?_

Threwen glanced back to see the Rider look about him with wide eyes and slowly move away from the tree he had been resting against.

She chuckled. Hopefully her friend would get used to Fangorn in a while.



Willow helped Threwen up into his branches since she still didn't have the strength to climb up. His long beams and leaves created a comfortable place for her to settle down. They walked for some distance and came back to the Entwash. He set her down and she settled on a rock.

The Ent stood and waited for her to continue on. This Ent, though a strange being, was one of the few people in Middle Earth whom she trusted. She filled him in on what had happened since she'd left Fangorn.

"The day I left Fangorn I headed south," she started.

The Ent nodded, seeming to know where she was going with this already.

"I was traveling with Asimma and I saw this tall structure in the distance. A tower. And that's where I met him."

"The White Wizard."

She nodded. The Ents knew about the wizard. There had been a time when he had visited and talked with the trees, especially one of the head Ents, Treebeard. They no longer trusted him though, since he had been chopping down the trees of Fangorn to fuel his fires of destruction. She couldn't blame them.

She swallowed. "He knew things…things no one else should've known about me…and so I couldn't let those things get out. I was scared. I started working for him because I had no where else to go." She told him how he used her riding skills to have her relay messages back and forth between his spies.

Willow nodded slowly. Everything about the Ents was unhurried and time-consuming. A while ago she might've been annoyed but this was somewhat soothing. Her life had been one big long fast-paced race to keep alive. Here things were different. Everything was old and it seemed like time stopped.

Threwen took a deep breath. "That's when he sent me to Rohan." She stopped and studied his reaction. He knew about her past, or at least pieces of it. She had once been a normal girl of Rohan but it seemed like that life was ages ago. After her world was turned upside down, she had sworn never to go back.

The Ent seemed to still be listening intently. He nodded for her to continue.

She told him all about her first experience with the Dark Rider, her workings with Gríma, and then Rannyn. She told him only bits and pieces about _their_ relationship. Threwen knew that Rannyn cared deeply for her. She just wasn't sure how she felt about him. Up until then she had just been concentrating on getting back to a place where she felt safe, a place where she could heal.

Now that she had time though, a tidal wave of emotions was now rushing over her. The Dark Rider…she had killed him. He was gone. It was her fault. Rannyn had cared enough to leave the Riders of the Riddermark and come find her. He had taken care of her again. And she had been so glad to wake up with him there, sitting next to her. He made her have this sense of…security…and normality.

Threwen rubbed her shoulder. It ached and she was beginning to feel the pain rushing back. It was sore from riding and walking. She should be taking it easy and she knew it. She stopped her story at the part where she had left Rohan. She had to prepare herself for the next part- the part with the Dark Rider.

"Is that…hoom…when you came…hmmm…here?" Willow watched her.

"No. Something happened first." She pointed to her bandaged shoulder. "This happened first."

She went on to explain about the Rider attacking her, hitting her, stabbing her. She shut her eyes for a second, trying to block out the images of his face above her, the menacing look, those eyes.

"I…I took my sword and…I…I swung it and…" She swallowed. "I killed him."

The Ent seemed a bit concerned about her. His eyebrows furrowed and a worried look was etched in his eyes.

She clutched herself again, pulled her knees up to her chest. "I can still see him. I can see his eyes…staring…at nothing. For all I know he was just like me- lost and in the service of a man that knew too much about his past. What if he was just trying to survive? What if…" She choked and felt the tears starting to well up in her eyes. She wasn't normally a crying person but then she wasn't normally a killing person either.

_You killed someone._

Sure, Threwen had injured people before. She knew how to use a sword. She knew how to defend herself. She could think back on dozens of times when she'd had to escape from the grasps of something nasty. But she'd never killed anyone.

She closed her eyes again. She wanted him out of her head. She wanted the Rider to be gone for good.

Willow _hroom-_ed and _hoom_-ed and then said, "Threewwwen…What about Rannyn…hroom…?"

Threwen blinked and looked up at him. "What about him?"

He smiled. "He can help you."

She looked puzzled. "How?"

"He's…hroom…a Rider…He's done the same sorts of things…before…"

Threwen had to admit she had never thought of this before. Sure Rannyn was a fighter but she hadn't really thought he would understand what she was going through at the moment. She never really told him much, probably because she was afraid he wouldn't like what she really was.

Willow picked her up and placed her in his branches. "How about we…hoom…head back?" He started to walk with his big booming steps in the direction of his home. "I wonder…hroom…how Edoras is doing...without any Riders…to protect them…hooom…"

Threwen glanced at his face. He winked. She smiled.

_Time to go back. _

**End Note: thanks for reading.**


	14. Return to Edoras

**Marie: this is a short chappie but I wanted to update. Oh and I had a question about this: the Dark Riders are neither Nazgûl nor Riders of the Riddermark. They're kind of like the enforcers of Saruman. They are my own creation and sort of look like the Ringwraiths but they're actually human. They have some sort of power to get into your head, given to them by Saruman. Anywho, I just made them up cuz I didn't want to use orcs and the Ringwraiths are preoccupied in Mordor at this time so yeah. A 'lil bit of clarification there.**

Rannyn contemplated Threwen's past. Why would she ever want to live in a place like this? How could this be a haven for her? It was…creepy. And it was…old. "Watch out for the trees," she had said. Why? Were the trees alive too, like the Ents? He shivered. This place gave him the heeby jeebies.

_Why did that Rider attack her? There had to be a reason. He looked like someone who would be working for…_ He stopped. Suddenly he recognized the man. He knew he'd seen a few of them hanging around the Gap of Rohan, near Isengard. _They work for Saruman._ _But what does that have to do with Threwen?_

_What if she has something to do with him…what if she knows the wizard…what if…_

Rannyn forced these thoughts out of his mind. No. Threwen wouldn't do that. The Rider was probably just attacking her because she was getting close to Fangorn and Isengard. He was probably just a guard, a security system.

_Yeah, that's it. _

But he still remained curious of her dark past. There was something she was hiding from him and he knew it.

"Rannyn!"

He jumped. Threwen was gently let down from Willow's shoulder and she slowly made her way over to him. She was still a bit sluggish after being in a fight only the day before. He could tell she was a very durable young woman, but a wound like that was bound to catch up with her.

"Have a nice walk?"

She smiled at him. And for once it looked like a genuine smile. "Yes. We're going back to Edoras."

This surprised him. "Wow, that was a quick decision. I thought you weren't going back."

She shrugged, causing her to wince. Apparently a movement like that hurt quite a bit. "Willow changed my mind."

He raised an eyebrow and glanced at the tree.

_Wait, It's an Ent. Not a tree._

"Do you want to rest a bit?" He was still concerned about that injury. It was pretty deep and she needed to let it heal. A jarring ride probably wasn't the best thing for her.

However, she shook her head. "I'm okay. I just want to go…"

Rannyn noticed she had stopped herself and looked thoughtful. Was she about to say 'home'? He had noticed that she had never seemed totally comfortable in Edoras. It was as if she was scared of something, or maybe just cautious. It was like she was afraid of getting to know anyone. She sort of resembled a hermit.

_A very pretty hermit…_

She started to pack her things up when she noticed Rannyn looking at her. "What?" she demanded. He noticed that her right hand started to reach for her hair, as if she was going to run her hands through the tangled curls but had stopped herself.

He smiled. "Nothing."

She looked at him oddly but didn't say anything to him. She turned to Willow. "Thank you. You've been such a great help."

He nodded to her and she smiled. The Ent offered to pick her up and place her in the saddle. Rannyn had to silently chuckle to himself. She hesitated but then glanced at her shoulder and accepted. Rannyn had to admit that it was a funny sight seeing her lifted up and put on top of Asimma, but after a dark glare from her he wiped the smirk off his face.

They headed out toward the plains, Willow following along with them easily. At the edge of the forest Threwen turned and smiled gently at her old friend.

"Thank you," she said softly.

He seemed to smile back. "Thank _you_." He had been in need of company lately. She was a welcome sight for the old creature.

And then they set off. They could reach there by nightfall if they made good time. They were returning to Edoras.

**End Note: There's still quite a bit to go so I'll keep you posted. **


	15. Evacuation

**A/N: I had to delete this chapter once because for some reason it repeated itself. So anywho, whatever comment I had on here before I can't remember. Just read and enjoy.**

"Look!" cried Threwen. They had just gotten to the top of a hill and she could see it. "Edoras!"

She was so glad to be back. The whole left side of her upper body throbbed. She had kept it clean in order to protect from infection, but it still ached. Rannyn had been checking on her regularly and she was rather touched that he was concerned for her.

_What a sweet guy,_ she had thought to herself. Once she had fallen into her habit of not thinking of him in a friend sort of way but then she remembered. _I'm free. I can make friends again…_ But she knew this would take time. A lot of time.

Rannyn smiled at her and he seemed relieved to be back. Threwen decided she was going to clean up and go to bed once she got back. Sleep…sleep in her own bed. That sound really good at that point in time. Rannyn had said he needed to speak with the King and the wizard. He was, after all, going to be the only Rider of the Riddermark in Edoras.

"We should get there in time for dinner." He glanced at Threwen when he saw her showing discomfort with her arm. "And in time for you to get some rest. I think you over did it today."

She shrugged him off. "I'm fine."

He smirked. "Now when have I heard that before?"

She sighed and said, "You aren't going to make me drink tea again, are you?" She made a face at the memory. It hadn't tasted good at all.

But she had to admit that it would be nice to be taken care of. Especially by someone like Rannyn.



Rannyn practically ran to the Golden Hall after he had put Isidien in the stable. He needed to find out what was going on. He had been a close friend of Eomer for a while now and he was sure he could offer some help.

But he was too late. King Théoden had already made his decision when he got there.

_Helm's Deep_.

Rannyn thought the man was making a stupid mistake. From what he had heard from Threwen and what she had heard from Lord Aragorn, Saruman was going to strike soon. And Rannyn knew they should contact the other Riders.

"Open war is upon you, whether you would risk it or not."

The Ranger was right but it seemed like Théoden felt he needed to protect his country since it had already been through so much. So that was why they had an order the next morning, from the King.

"By order of the King, the city must empty. We make for the refuge of Helm's Deep. Do not burden yourself with treasures. Take only what provisions you need."

Rannyn, who was helping Threwen with some chores since she was having trouble, watched as people started packing and Gandalf, followed closely by his friends, grumble as he went into the stables.

"Where is he going?" asked Threwen, a concerned look on her face. She had come out to check on how he was doing with some tasks she'd assigned him.

Rannyn sighed. "He's going to find Eomer and his men."

Threwen's eyes widened. "But, we need him! Wizards are powerful and he could help protect us."

Rannyn glanced at her, wondering how she knew so much about wizards. Most thought they were just conjurers of cheap tricks, like fireworks. Threwen seemed like the last person who would be convinced of their authority.

"We'll be fine."



Threwen knew how to gather things up in a hurry and she was used to moving. She got Asimma and packed what she could on the mare. Rannyn had said he wanted her to ride with him, up near the King in the front of the procession.

_We'll be fine._ Threwen wished she could believe that but she knew better. She knew what Saruman and his forces were capable of. In fact, she knew exact how large his forces were and what they looked like. And it wasn't pretty.

Infuriating though it was, she had to have the stable keeper's help getting up into the saddle. Rannyn had made her a sort of sling for her arm. Luckily she was an experienced rider and Asimma was already used to her, since it would be a little tough riding one handed.

"You're leaving too, aren't you?" she asked the old man. She had grown fond of him, his smiling eyes.

He grinned up at her. "Oh yes. I'm just helping people get themselves all packed up and then I'm heading out too."

She frowned. "Do you have any family to travel with?"

He shook his head. "No, it's only me."

The girl noticed a shred of sadness in those grey eyes. She bit her lip, able to sympathize with him completely. Threwen knew what it was like to be alone in life. So she made a decision as she sat atop Asimma, looking down at one of the only people in Edoras who had talked with her, been concerned about her well being.

"Would you like to ride with me?" she asked shyly.

He seemed a bit surprised, but then he broke into a wide smile. "I'd like that a lot," he said quietly.

She smiled back. He helped her down from Asimma and she went to find Rannyn. She had finally taken a step and made a friend.

**End Note: Okey dokey. Read the next chapter and I'm happy. Lol.**


	16. Shadows of the Past

**Marie: Alrighty. Next one.**

Threwen found Rannyn preparing his own things, saddling up Isidien, etc. He smiled when he saw her approaching him.

"Ready to go?" he asked.

She nodded but then said, "Would you mind if I didn't ride with you?"

He seemed confused. "Why?" His brown eyes got a teasing look in them. "Don't you like me?"

She rolled her eyes. "No, I'm going to wait for the stable keeper and ride with him. He doesn't have any family."

Rannyn got a look of surprise in his eyes. "You mean Cadoc?"

Threwen stopped. She had never heard his name. But now that she knew she thought it suited him. Then she smiled and nodded. "Yeah, Cadoc."

Her companion didn't appear to be upset that she wasn't riding with him to Helm's Deep. In fact, he looked pleased that she was going to be with the old man. "I'm glad, Threwen."

She grinned. "Me too."



Threwen had to admit, it was weird to consider anyone a 'friend.' But Cadoc was a kind man and he talked with her for the whole first day of the trip. He helped her onto Asimma when she got tired and he kept her company. She had to laugh when she thought about how odd a couple they must make- an old stable keeper and a mysterious girl with a sword wound in her shoulder and a bruise across her cheek.

She learned that Cadoc had never been married and so had been alone for years. Threwen thought he still missed his brother, whom had been older and had died quite some time ago. She was able to understand him though, and she thoroughly enjoyed talking with him.

When they finally reached a spot to camp for the night, Threwen located Rannyn and told him where she was going to be sleeping. Cadoc had told her she was welcome to eat dinner with him and so she accepted. Rannyn said he would come see her before the evening was over.

Dinner was stew and it was good. The steaming bowl that was placed in front of her was devoured in an instant. Cadoc chuckled at her appetite.

"I haven't seen anyone take to my stew like that in a long time." He laughed quietly. Once he was done with his soup he turned to her and asked, "So, what brought you to Edoras in the first place?"

Threwen stopped. She had hoped to avoid subjects like this.

_What do I say? _She decided against lying. She didn't want to do that anymore.

"Um, oh, well I just travel a lot. You know, here and there." This was true…sort of.

He simply nodded and they sat there for a while. Then he cleared his throat. "So, how did you get that shiner and that cut?" He looked her square in the eye. "I seriously doubt Asimma rearing you would do that kind of damage."

_Had Rannyn told him about the fist time?_ she asked herself, a little caught off guard.

"Um…"

_Do I trust him?_ Threwen had to admit that day and being able to spend time with someone besides Rannyn had made her realize how much she craved companionship. She'd been without it for so long.

_And what is friendship without trust?_

"I…was attacked."

Cadoc raised an eyebrow in surprise but didn't say anything.

"By a bad man."

"Why did he want to hurt you?"

She shrugged. "Different things. I just got involved with the wrong people before I came to Edoras. My past caught up with me."

"And what might that past be?" He eyed her curiously.

_He _did_ tell you all about himself. Don't you owe him the same courtesy?_

"My family…" She swallowed. "My family once lived in a small village a ways away from Edoras. I had a brother and a father and a mother." She closed her eyes, the unwanted memories coming back. Her eyes flew open. "My brother taught me how to use a sword and to defend myself. He said we were living in dark times. I didn't believe him. We were happy. But that all changed."

Cadoc just listened intently.

"I left one day for a ride with Asimma here. When I came back they were gone."

The old man's eyebrows furrowed.

"A pack of Wargs had attacked. I was thirteen." She sighed and stared into the fire.

Cadoc studied her for a while and then said, "How does that make you get involved with the wrong people?"

She looked up at him. "The village was wiped out. I was the only one left and I blamed myself. I should've been there to help protect them!" She poked angrily at the fire with a stick.

"But you were only a little girl. What could you have done? You would've died with them!"

Threwen clenched her teeth in anger but then her shoulders slumped. "You're right. I was only a little girl and so I wasn't totally logical. I packed up Asimma and I left." She thought back to how she had wandered around for a while, lost and alone. "Then I chanced upon this huge forest."

"Fangorn."

She nodded. "I lived there for a while and I just…I just met a few not so great people in the years to come, that's all."

Cadoc nodded.

She wondered if he wouldn't like her anymore. She hadn't gone into detail about how she'd been a secret spy for Saruman and how she'd helped orchestrate the orc ambush on Théodred and his men. But what if he was able to see through her?

They both sat there in silence for a while when something happened. All had been quiet and Threwen was beginning to think that Cadoc didn't mind her after all when she started to get a little headache. But as the moments wore on it got steadily worse.

"Are you alright?" the old man asked her, concern in his eyes.

She nodded but this only made her head hurt more. She rubbed her temples and then she looked at her hands. They were shaking. Suddenly she couldn't breathe and the picture of an orb with swirling dark colors and a man dressed in all white flashed into her head. Cadoc looked at her in alarm.

"Threwen!"

She gasped. "He…he's found me!" She struggled to stay awake but she couldn't fight it. It was hard to breathe, like someone was clutching her throat. Her eyes closed and all was dark.

**End Note: Ooh...the evil cliffhanger. Lol. I like reviews but I do not need them to survive. Would be nice though… **


	17. Coming Clean

**A/N: Enjoy.**

"She cried out, 'He's found me' right before she passed out. Now, what in the world does that mean?"

The blonde young man ran a hand through his hair. This girl sure was giving him a lot of trouble. He thought things were going to be okay but he should've known better. Cadoc looked at him intently, waiting for his answer.

"Honestly? I have no idea."

The old man sighed. "Well she certainly has an interesting past."

Rannyn looked up in surprise. She had told him something? "What? What did she tell you?"

Now it was Cadoc's turn to be surprised. "She hasn't told you?"

Rannyn's shoulders slumped. Why did she always keep secrets from him? He had done so much for her and she still didn't tell him things about herself. It frustrated him to no end, especially since he had demonstrated how much he cared.

Cadoc seemed to sense his disappointment and he felt a little bad about it. "Well, she's just had some unfortunate incidents happen to her." He stood up and said, "I'm goin' to go to sleep, but when she wakes up, I think maybe you should ask her yourself." He nodded to him and went a little ways away to settle himself down for the night.

Rannyn sighed. _Doesn't she trust me?_ He had followed her into Fangorn Forest. He had helped her when she'd been attacked by a Rider- twice. He had visited her in Edoras. What else did he need to do?

Frustrated he looked her, still passed out. Her face looked troubled, like something that was haunting her dreams.

_Why won't she tell me!_



Shadows and voices surrounded Threwen in her dreams. She could quite find her way out and she wasn't sure who it was that was whispering to her through the darkness. She found herself wandering around in a dark, misty place and someone was gently and softly saying something in the gloom but it wasn't a comforting sort of thing. She tried to get away from it but it wasn't working.

Suddenly her throat closed up again and she felt like she couldn't breathe. It was as if someone had a vice grip on her neck and they weren't going to let go any time soon. She clutched her neck in a desperate attempt to fling away whatever was holding them but then she realized nothing was there.

Suddenly the world around her changed. She could breathe, quite well too. She was in a familiar place, but she couldn't quite figure it out. Then she thought back and realized where she was.

_Home._

"Threwen, why don't you go for a ride with Asimma? You look like you could use some fresh air."

Threwen turned in horror as she saw the face of her mother, a face she hadn't seen in so many years, a face she had hoped would fade from her memory so that it wouldn't pain her so much. She took a step back and then the picture turned again.

Now she saw the bodies of her village, littered about on the ground, some mutilated, others missing entirely- the work of a pack of Wargs. She shut her eyes, hoping to block it out of her mind. This was a scene she had blamed herself for, a scene she wanted gone forever.

When she opened her eyes again she saw a face before her. It was a white face, wrinkled, with dark eyes she knew too well. They were the eyes that pierced you and made you feel vulnerable. Threwen felt her neck close up again, the breathing difficulties returning. The face laughed.

"You're mine!"



Rannyn jumped when he heard a cry. Apparently he had dozed off but he was definitely awake then. He looked around and then saw Threwen, sitting up, clutching her throat and sweating, gasping for breath. She looked on the verge of crying, the tears welling up in her eyes.

_Must've been some nightmare to shake her up that much_.

He got up, moved closer, and then sat down next to her, waiting for her to acknowledge him. Finally, after she had stared into the distance for a while, he put his hand on her arm. She started and then looked at him with wide eyes. For a moment there was no recognition and her face looked unfamiliar to him, like the face of a stranger.

"Are you alright?" he asked, concerned.

The green eyes finally registered with the person who was talking to her, the man she cared about most at that point in time, the one whom she trusted. She nodded.

They were both silent for a while and then Rannyn said, "Would you like something to drink? I think I have…"

He started to get up but she grabbed his arm and said, "Rannyn, I want to tell you something."

The young Rider looked at her, puzzled. "What's wrong?"

She took a deep breath. "I want to tell you everything."



Rannyn couldn't believe it. He couldn't believe it so much that he had looked at her wide-eyed and then stormed away. In retrospect he realized that probably wasn't the best way to handle the situation, but really. She had worked for who! Saruman the White, that's who. He had fallen for a traitor. He had fallen for a con artist, someone who was probably quite skilled in fooling people, in lying. Had everything been a lie?

_This is what I get. Everything had been going fine until I got to know _her.

Rannyn flung his pack on an empty spot a ways away and settled down, his mind mulling over all the information.

_Maybe I'm being to hard on her…no. No, I'm not. She was just lying to me._

With anger surging through him, Rannyn finally fell asleep, a certain blonde girl haunting his dreams, always being followed by an old man in white robes.



Threwen felt like crying. She could feel the deluge of hurt and disappointment and loneliness ready to spill over. He hadn't reacted well. He hadn't reacted well at all. She had hoped he would be glad she had trusted him enough to tell him that. She had **never** told anyone the whole story. Actually she'd never told anyone anything until that day, when she'd told Cadoc about what had happened when she was a girl.

She pulled her knees up to her chest, careful not to hurt her shoulder. She felt like her life was a big black hole, nothing going right, everything going from bad to worse. She finally found someone whom she cared about and trusted and he had turned his back on her and probably hated and distrusted her now. Just because of one mistake.

_Well I guess it was a rather large mistake. But I had no choice!_

Threwen suddenly felt another emotion- anger. Not at Rannyn. At Saruman. It was the same anger that had driven her the day the Dark Rider had attacked her. Saruman had found her and was trying to toy with her mind, trying to get her to come crawling back to him. But she was not going to let that happen. She was going to be rid of him, even if it killed her.

**A/N: So yeah. Keep reading.**


	18. Wargs

**A/N: This is me. Just keep reading.**

"Has he talked with you yet?"

Threwen glanced at the pair of kind grey eyes that were looking up at her from where she was perched on Asimma. She silently shook her head. She felt numb. The first time she'd been completely honest with Rannyn, he got mad and now it seemed like she was alone again. But she wasn't going to let that stop her. She'd had Rannyn and so she thought she could handle things with his help. And now it seemed like she had lost him. At first she'd been afraid she'd be vulnerable to Saruman and his power.

_But I'm not weak anymore. I can handle this on my own. _

Cadoc seemed to sense her hardness and said, "Give him time."

She shook her head. "He's not going to come back to me. I know it."

The old man sighed and said, "He cares for you, you know."

Threwen did know this. He did care for her, or at least he used to. But he probably hated her now. She supposed she couldn't blame him, although she had hoped he would've been a little more sympathetic toward her.

_But he wasn't,_ she thought simply. Then she looked down at the old stable keeper who was quietly leading her and Asimma over the rocks and grass clumps on the path, careful not to trample any dropped belongings. And she realized she wasn't alone. She smiled as she thought about how he'd treated her so nicely ever since she first came there. And she found herself being extremely thankful for him. If it weren't for him she'd be traveling this path alone, trapped in a world of solitude.

"Thank you," she said suddenly and quietly.

He looked up at her in surprise and asked, "What for?"

She shrugged, wincing a little at her shoulder, but then smiling. "I guess I'm just glad someone still likes me."

He grinned back up at her and said, "Well if everyone got to know you I'm sure they'd like you as much as me."

She frowned. This hadn't been true with Rannyn. He now knew more about her than anyone and he didn't seem too happy with her. She silently hoped he would change his mind because, truth be told, she missed his company and his smiling face.



Rannyn bent down and picked a small wildflower, amazed at how it had survived so much people treading over it. Even more puzzling was the fact that it was not only in the very middle of their path but it was also the only one within sight. He twirled and fingered it, noticing how striking something like that could be. There was such simplicity to its beauty.

He sighed and his thoughts turned elsewhere as he plodded along, still fiddling with the flower. Why couldn't everything in life be as simple as that little flower? Lately his life had been more complicated than he had liked and he was frustrated. He realized that there might actually be something bad waiting for them when they reached Helm's Deep. Or maybe something was coming. Either way this could turn into a bad situation. Hadn't Gandalf and Lord Aragorn said so? What would happen to him? Would there be a battle? Would he live?

_Would she miss me?_

He frowned. He shouldn't even care. She was a traitor. In fact, she should be reported to Théoden. But the more he thought of **that** the more he dismissed it. As much as he was disappointed with her he didn't want to see her locked away. He had to admit, she wasn't really bad at heart, was she? She had gone to the wizard because he manipulated her into thinking she should've helped save her village. He had ensnared her when she was most vulnerable. So was that really her fault?

_But she could've turned him down. She could've gotten out before she got in over her head like this. She should've made a better decision._

His face hardened and he let his clasped fingers open, the flower slowly and gently floating to the ground.



Threwen and Cadoc talked about lighter subjects for the rest of the trip. The man had some very wild stories to tell about his youth and what he and his brother had done when they were in their teens. She laughed at most of them, which made both of them feel good- Cadoc because he hadn't seen her smile all that much, let alone laugh, and Threwen liked it because she didn't normally have occasions where she could laugh.

One such occasion, outside of one of the horse keeper's stories came in the form of the dwarf stranger; she thought his name was Gimli. He had been talking to Lady Eowyn and she seemed to be enjoying his company immensely, and also Lord Aragorn's, Threwen couldn't help noticing. They were riding just a ways ahead of them and she could see them pretty well.

Suddenly the horse Gimli was atop of took off and the dwarf went flying, along with his axe and they both landed on the ground with a thud. Threwen had to laugh at that, and so did Eowyn. Threwen realized how pretty she was when she smiled. She didn't see her much but when she did she seemed very serious and a little cold.

_I suppose I must seem a little like that_, Threwen thought. She had to admit she wasn't one for cracking jokes. Humor had never been her strong point.

"I wonder how much help that one'll be to us," Cadoc commented.

Threwen smiled but this comment brought the possibility of a battle back into her mind. Actually she expected Saruman's army to be attacking a little after they got there. She wondered if the people of Rohan would be able to hold them back. The more she thought about it and surveyed the people about her the more she began to doubt if they even had a fighting chance.

A while later there was a commotion in the front of the procession. Threwen and Cadoc had moved ahead towards the front of the group but they still couldn't quite see what was going. Suddenly she heard a cry that sent a chill through her.

"Warg Riders!"



Rannyn took a deep breathe. _Great. Wargs._ There were so few people able to fight. But there weren't too many of the enemy and the newcomers were skilled fighters. He quickly mounted Isidien, readying himself for the battle that was beginning.

For a brief second, so brief it might've been missed, Rannyn glanced at the people towards the front of the long line. He caught a glimpse of someone he recognized, the green eyes looking at him intently, pleading him to come back safely. He nodded to her, pressed his heels into Isidien, and was gone.



Threwen caught his glance and silently hoped, even though she knew he was angry with her, that he would come back unharmed. She hoped he would come back at all.

She glanced down and saw something in the grass, something that looked quite trampled and looked like it had been stuck to someone's boot and had just recently fallen off the bottom in the commotion. She bent down and picked it up. It was a tiny flower, the only one of its kind she had seen during their whole trip. She fingered it.

_Be safe, Rannyn. Be safe._

**End Note: Well there ya are. Thank you again for the reviews and I'm glad people are enjoying it. **


	19. Destination

**Marie Note: Well here's the next chapter. There's not much of a cliff hanger or anything but you're going to want to stay tuned for the next chapter. We're getting toward a climax and then the end. Hope you guys like it!**

After traveling for some time away from Edoras and through the mountains and plains of Rohan, one reaches a certain hill. Once one has crested said hill, they behold the sight of a great fortress, made of stone, carved into the mountain. It looks as if it has survived many, many years of use and war and refuge. To some it would be a welcome sight. To others this fortress is only the foreboding of something soon to come.

_Helm's Deep_.

Threwen took a breath as she looked upon it. She had never actually been there, although the stories of it she had heard for a long time. She stopped at the top of that hill and looked at it. For a moment she was relieved. They were finally there. But the next moment she realized that this was no refuge. This was a cage. There was no way of getting out of it once they got in and she knew, more than anyone, what was coming.

"Are you alright?" asked Cadoc, who stood next to her. He had noticed her concerned expression. "Are you worried about Rannyn?"

Threwen hadn't been worried about him at that particular moment until he brought it up. Her thoughts drifted back to the fair haired Rider. She wondered if he was even still alive. She knew what Wargs were capable of and she hated to think that Rannyn had fallen prey to one of them. She felt a shiver run up her spine, dark images entering her mind from her past.

She suddenly felt a hand on her shoulder and she turned to look at Cadoc. He smiled at her and said, "Everything will be alright. Trust me."

The blonde hesitated to trust him. One reason was because she had always had trust issues, but the other reason was because she knew that the near future was not bright. She knew that everything would _not_ be alright, probably the exact opposite. The basis for these fears? Saruman's army was coming.



"That's the last of them."

King Théoden, Gimli, and the elf, Legolas, along with the rest of the soldiers had either killed or run off the soldiers and their Wargs. There had been many casualties and some were missing, even Lord Aragorn. But luckily one blonde haired Rider of the Riddermark had managed to survive. He had a cut on his leg from where a near dead orc had slashed him, but past that he had remained unscathed.

The group, a little bedraggled, got themselves together to head on towards Helm's Deep. Rannyn had to admit it was a grim scene. Théoden had said to leave the dead, but Rannyn wanted to at least give them a burial. It only seemed right. But he was to follow orders. So he did.

He wiped off his sword and was about to walk back to Isidien when he heard a moan. He glanced back, searching among the bodies, and found the source. A young man, a little older than himself, was on the ground with a huge gash in his leg. Apparently he had been knocked unconscious, but was now awakening. Rannyn knelt down next to him.

"Hey," he said, trying to get him to wake up. The young man's wounds did not seem too severe and if he could get him bandaged up and on a horse he could take him with him to the fortress. He just had to get him up first. "Hey, wake up."

The eyelids fluttered and then his eyes opened slowly, blinking a few times to come into focus. He winced at the pain shooting through his leg. "Wha…?"

Rannyn nodded to him and the young man put his head back down, groaning. Rannyn inspected the wound and then retrieved a piece of cloth from his sack. He cleaned the wound a little and then bandaged it up, all the while talking with the young man to take his mind off the pain, which wasn't easy.

"So, what's your name?" he asked, keeping his concentration on his work.

"Caraedry."

"Ah. So, Caraedry, do you have a family you're going to be seeing when you get to Helm's Deep?"

The man nodded and said, "My parents and a younger sister. They've gone ahead."

"What's your sister's name?"

"Cerrarien. She's 16."

Rannyn smiled. "So are you married?" He was almost done bandaging. That would mean questions were over and the transporting to a horse would begin.

Caraedry got a funny look on his face, his eyes filling with warmth, the pain leaving for a moment, and said softly, "Yes."

Rannyn grinned, understanding this. There was a certain way he had said her name that clued him in on how much he cared for the woman. "What's her name?" He had finished and was now giving his full attention to Caraedry.

He smiled. "Ruthiel."

Rannyn nodded. "Well you're going to be okay and I'll bet Ruthiel will be really glad to see you in almost one piece."

The man thanked him and then the young Rider called over another soldier to help him get Caraedry onto a horse. Rannyn promised that he would keep him company for the rest of the journey. He mounted Isidien and the two young men rode together. They had survived one small battle and were headed for Helm's Deep, walking, perhaps, towards an even bigger conflict against even worse odds.

_Let's just concentrate on getting there,_ Rannyn thought. He looked out across the plains and sighed. It wasn't over yet.



"Asimma, come on!" Threwen tugged at the horse's reigns from where she was standing, which was in the doorway to the fortress. No matter how she tugged the animal just would not budge! It refused to come inside. Threwen finally let go and the horse just stood there, staring at her with defiant eyes. She sighed. "I know you don't like enclosed spaces, but really! Can't you cooperate for once?"

Cadoc had gone to secure them a place to stay and Threwen was to just wait for him inside the entrance…if she ever got there! She tried to tug again, but Asimma just sat there, looking at Threwen like she was nuts for wanting to bring her in there.

"Infuriating animal!" She swatted the air near Asimma's nose, trying to show her impatience at the creature. She heard a chuckle from behind her.

"Having trouble?"

Threwen turned to see the face of someone she did not expect.

"My Lady," she said, bowing her head down a little.

Lady Eowyn nodded to her. "It seems your horse does not like Helm's Deep."

Threwen sighed. "No, I'm afraid not."

"Perhaps I should find the stable keeper for you…" She started to look around but Threwen stopped her.

"Oh, no, Cadoc rode all the way here with me. He is a friend of mine. I was supposed to wait for him just inside the entrance."

Eowyn nodded. She looked as if she were about to say something when a middle-aged woman came up to her and said something to her. She turned back to Threwen and said, "Excuse me. I'm needed somewhere else. I hope you get your stubborn horse inside." And with that she was gone.

Threwen turned to Asimma. "See? Even Lady Eowyn says you're stubborn!" She surveyed the situation, trying to figure out how to get her inside. She had tried actually riding her in but the horse would not get past the door. Pulling and tugging didn't work either. "I suppose you'll just have to live there, you frustrating thing!" She slumped against the wall and placed her head on the cold, hard stone.

"She won't cooperate, will she?"

Cadoc came up and smiled at Threwen's agitation. He motioned for her to view what he was going to do. Apparently he had the solution. He reached into his sack and pulled out a carrot. Threwen noticed Asimma automatically paid attention to the old man. Cadoc backed up and, to the young woman's amazement, the horse followed. He chuckled and led the horse out of sight. She had to laugh. It seemed Asimma had a weakness for carrots.



"So, how long have you been married?"

Rannyn, while atop Isidien, was talking with Caraedry, hoping to make friends with him.

"A little over a year," he replied. The man didn't seem too comfortable because the ride jostled his leg. He winced at every false step of the horse.

Rannyn nodded, all out of questions. He didn't really know what to say in response to that. His own experiences with young women had gone very badly so far. In this awkward silence the tables began to turn on him.

"So do you have family?" Caraedry asked. "Are you married?"

He was a bit surprised that he was now being questioned but he thought it only fair he answer. "No to both questions."

Caraedry studied him for a moment and then asked calmly, "So what's her name?"

Rannyn noticed how this mimicked his earlier question of Caraedry. He sighed, hesitant to go into it. "Threwen."

This time he nodded. "Do you love her?"

Again he was taken aback. This man was rather blunt, he couldn't help noticing. Rannyn had to think about the question. Did he? He had never really thought about it that way. He cared about her, sure, but loved her? "I suppose so…yes."

"You seem uncertain."

Rannyn sighed. "Well, when I last talked with her I got angry with her." He glanced at his companion and quickly added, "But I had every right to be."

Caraedry chuckled slightly. "Really? What gave you the right?"

"I learned about her past and it's not pretty."

"You mean she's made mistakes?"

Rannyn thought about it and then nodded. "Yes."

"Is she sorry and learning from them or still making the same ones?"

The young man thought he was a being a bit too thorough but he was the one who was married so maybe Rannyn should take his questions seriously. "Well when she told me it was kind of like a confession, like she was telling them to me to let me know she was different now…or something like that."

"So she's different now?" Caraedry watched Rannyn's face.

He paused. "Yeah, I guess she is trying to be different." This seemed true. Threwen had gotten to know Cadoc and was expanding her territories, maybe slowly, but surely. And even before that she had made the choice to go back to Edoras even though she had sworn never to return. And she _had_ told him that she wasn't working for Saruman anymore…

His companion observed Rannyn's contemplating and smiled. "If you love her and she's not making the same mistakes anymore, don't you think you should give her another chance? I'm willing to bet she'll be as glad to see you in one piece as Ruthiel will be to see me."

Rannyn thought for a moment and then smiled. He was right. And Rannyn would be glad to see her too.

And with that they crested that one particular hill and gazed down at it. Helm's Deep.

**End Note: Well there you are. I would appreciate reviews if you got 'em. **


	20. Meetings and Worries

**Marie: Well here's the next chap. This chapter and then the last chapter are just kind of in-between ones leading up to the next event. Bear with me. Hope you guys are still interested. Enjoy.**

_Just my luck_.

Threwen looked down to see the contents of her bag strewn across the stone floor. She sighed. Of course it would be her good fortune to have left the top open and then to have picked it up the wrong way and have it all fall to the ground with a clatter. She quickly got down on her hands and knees to pick it all up, grumbling all the way. The stones felt hard on her knees and hands and she wondered if everyone else felt what she was feeling- the cold fear of anticipating what was to come.

_I suppose not, since I'm the only one who knows what's probably going to happen in the near future_._ Everyone else thinks they're now safe._

As she was grumbling Threwen suddenly realized maybe it was her duty to tell King Théoden. They needed to be prepared. She pondered how she would go about doing this. It's not like she could just walk up to him and tell him they were going to be overrun by the orcs of Saruman sometime soon. That simply wasn't done. The only person she knew who could be of help in this situation was Rannyn, and she didn't even know if he was still alive. At that moment everything scared her.

She picked up the last scattered possession and thought angrily, _Rannyn, why can't you get back here already?_ That's when she heard a commotion.

"They've returned!"

Threwen's heart started pounding. Now that's what you could call good timing. She leapt to her feet and rushed in the direction of the commotion, near the entrance. A large crowd of people had gathered, wives looking for husbands, friends. She saw King Théoden atop his horse, his face grim. He was saying something about losing many lives but that the people were safe.

_What's that mean, 'Lost many lives'?..._ Threwen felt the familiar emotion of fear welling up in her. She tried to peek over the heads of the people, straining to see the men. She couldn't help thinking that being taller than most still wasn't tall enough. She grunted in frustration and then saw two more mounted soldiers come in towards the end of the procession. One was a man she didn't recognize, whose leg was bandaged. She watched as a young woman cried out and ran to him.

"Caraedry!"

His face brightened and leaned down to kiss her, her face displaying her relief that her husband was safe.

"Ruthiel," she heard him whisper softly.

Threwen swallowed hard. What if Rannyn was back and okay? She had forgotten momentarily that he was angry with her. What if he was back but wouldn't acknowledge her? She started to feel slightly sick. Suddenly her anxiousness at seeing him was lessened and she wondered what she was doing there. Did she actually expect him to welcome her back with open arms if he came back at all? She turned to walk back to her things when she heard something.

"Threwen!"

She turned around, wondering who was calling her name. All of a sudden she wondered if Rannyn had told the king about her and she was going to be imprisoned or something. Of course she pushed this from her mind because this was just jumping to silly conclusions. She searched the crowd and finally, with mixed emotions, located the source.

_Rannyn_.

He dismounted Isidien and came toward her, a strange and quite indescribable look on his face. She looked around uncomfortably, feeling like everyone was going to witness him lashing into her or accusing her of being a traitor.

_Shouldn't I know him better than that, though?_ She began to doubt her own feelings about everything.

He stopped in front of her and they both kind of looked at each other for moment.

"Hi," he said softly.

She nodded to him and said quietly, "Hi." She looked down at her feet. _Well, at least he's not yelling at you_. But then another thought struck her with shocking force. _But he's not being exactly friendly and personal either, like he used to be…_ Threwen suddenly felt very small, which she hated.

Since she was looking down she noticed a bandage around his calf. She cleared her throat and said, "Is your leg okay? Because it looks like –"

She was cut off. The most unexpected thing, which, when she thought about it, had happened before, happened again. She suddenly felt herself being wrapped in a warm, relieved hug, all her feelings of fear of rejection, hopeless anticipation of the future, and doubtfulness of where exactly she stood, all disappearing in a moment. She felt safe. She let out a breath that she felt like she had been holding in ever since she had confessed her past actions to him.

He put a hand on the back of her head, smoothing her tangled hair gently. There was no need for words. Just seeing each other again was enough.



Caraedry smiled. His wife was still hanging onto him, and he was glad to see her, but another sight warmed him. He had witnessed an interesting occurrence involving his companion from the trip, the Rider of the Riddermark. He didn't know the man well, nor did he know the woman the young man was now embracing, but he knew that they were going to be okay. He saw relief written all over the woman's face, along with a sense of security that had settled over her features.

His wife pulled away from him. "Are you alright, my dear?" She noticed he was looking at something. She turned and saw the couple, wondering how her husband knew them. She gazed back at his face.

He grinned. "Yes, and I'm willing to bet Rannyn is too."

Ruthiel looked at him oddly, wondering what on earth he was talking about but he just hugged her again and the two hobbled away.



_So this is what its like to feel loved_.

Threwen wished she just be held forever because maybe that would prevent her from facing what was most likely coming. But she forced herself to pull away from Rannyn. She was glad he wasn't angry with her and most of all that he was alive, but she had to tell him, to warn him.

"Rannyn, we need to warn the King."

He looked at her with a perplexed expression. "Warn him about what?" He looked down at her.

"About them! They're coming!"

He chuckled nervously. "Threwen, you're not making sense. Who? Who's coming?"

She just sighed in aggravation and shook her head, obviously exasperated that Rannyn didn't know what she was talking about.

He put his hands out as if to say, 'What do you want me to do?' She rolled her eyes and was silent for a moment. "Okay, now tell me rationally, please, who is coming and why do we have to tell Théoden about it?"

_Urgh_. "Rannyn, Saruman has a giant army of Uruk-hai and they are no doubt starting mobilize to come here and annihilate us all." _There, I said it in a calm manner. Maybe _now_ we can go do something about it…_

His eyes widened but he said, "I figured he would send people but you have to remember that no one has ever breeched Helm's Deep. It's a fortress and we'll be fine."

Threwen shook her head violently. "No, no, no, you don't understand. I've seen them. They're…big….and…"

Rannyn put a hand on her shoulder. "Sshh…don't worry about it. You worry too much." He smiled at her and took her by the hand. "Come on, I want you to meet a friend of mine. His name is Caraedry."

But Rannyn wasn't as calm as he seemed. Deep down he knew she was right. Saruman was powerful and they were weak. And he began to wonder if they would ever leave Helm's Deep.



_Well, Caraedry and his wife were nice_, thought Threwen. Really that's all she had to say about their little visit. But then, she had never been much of a social butterfly or people person. Caraedry seemed to know her, which made her uncomfortable. She suspected Rannyn had told him about her. She wondered if Rannyn talked about her a lot to his friends.

She looked at Rannyn, who was striding along next to her, the two of them heading toward where she and Cadoc had been staying. He caught her looking at him.

"What did you think of Caraedry and his wife?" he asked her.

She shrugged. "They're nice people."

He frowned. Threwen wondered if she had offended him or something. "What?" she asked.

"Is that all you got out of it? _They're nice_?"

_Oh great. He finally understands about my past and seems to care about me more than before and now I've gone and made him mad again! Threwen, you moron!_ "I'm sorry. I'm just worried."

"About Caraedry?" He was baffled, clearly having no idea what she was talking about.

She sighed. "No, about Saruman's army."

"Threwen, there's nothing we can do about it."

She frowned. "We could warn Théoden so he could start getting ready."

"What are we going to tell him?" He looked at her and she honestly had no answer. He ran a hand through his hair. "Threwen, if we tell him that they're coming he'll want to know how we know. It's not like we can tell him you were working for Saruman and therefore know all about it. Then we'd have to deal with you being a traitor."

_Hmm…hadn't thought of that one…_ They had reached their destination and Cadoc was tending to the horses. Threwen sank down onto the floor, frustration etched on her face. She didn't want Saruman taking away her new life when it had just barely begun to take shape. Rannyn sat down next to her and put an arm around her. She leaned her head on his shoulder. They sat there for a while, what they were feeling about the events of the past few days going unspoken between them. Finally Rannyn stirred.

"I have to go talk with the King soon."

Threwen brightened. "Then you can tell him. We'll figure something out."

Rannyn smiled slightly. "You seem very eager to save a city full of people whom a few days ago you never wanted to see again." It was a bit ironic. "How about you sleep on it tonight and we'll see about it in the morning? What do you think? Things always look better in the morning."

Threwen said nothing, only nodded reluctantly. She wasn't sure but it seemed to satisfy Rannyn. He got up and was about to head toward where the King was stationed at that moment but she stopped him.

"You need to clean out your leg."

He looked down and shrugged. "Just a cut."

She rolled her eyes, having been over this before with his arm after that orc attack. _Which I caused…_ "It could get infected. Now sit back down and let me clean it."

He grinned. 'Yes, ma'am."

Rannyn had to admit he liked being taken care of by this young woman. She was good at it. He only hoped that she would be able to take care of him after they left this place.

_If we leave this place…_

**End Note: Well there we are. Now stay tuned because it'll get more interesting in the next chapter. Ciao for now.**


	21. They Are Coming

**Marie: Hope you guys like this chapter. It gets more interesting at the end. Enjoy.**

_Darkness. Darkness everywhere. And then a tiny beam of light in the distance. Orangish-red and glowing like fire. It's getting closer and closer. It's…it's…an eye. A flaming eye, getting larger and more menacing. But by backing away one realizes it is simply an eye in an orb, a _palantír, _one of the seeing stones. Looking around you're in a large room with a ceiling many, many feet up. The swish of robes and someone is before you, towering above you. The dark eyes glint._

"_I've found you!"_

A cry in the dark.

Threwen sat up quickly, sweating, her body shaking. She winced at the pain in her arm, gently cradling it, and pulling herself tenderly into a ball. Rannyn, who was sleeping a little distance away, awoke at this sound and was about to go back to sleep, thinking it was another baby's cry when he saw Threwen sitting up in the darkness. He crept toward her.

"Are you alright?" he whispered, concerned.

She let out a deep breath and closed her eyes momentarily. She nodded mutely. Her whole arm ached all the way down to her fingertips.

Rannyn noticed the pain etched on her face. "How's your shoulder?"

Threwen made notice of the fact that he didn't ask her what had woken her up. Apparently he figured she didn't want to talk about it. He was right. She didn't.

"Hurts." Threwen knew she must sound helpless but at that point in time she felt helpless.

"What did you do today?"

"Well Asimma wasn't being cooperative so I had to use harsh methods…"

He groaned. "No wonder your arm hurts. That wound has to heal you know!"

She rolled her eyes.

"Don't roll your eyes at me. You would say the same to me, and still do, when I'm hurt."

Threwen hated to admit it but this was true. She would recommend she take it easy and keep it clean. She had seen people die from wounds because the infection traveled throughout the body.

_These morbid thoughts aren't helping any._ She closed her eyes again and took a deep breath. She leaned against Rannyn, wishing she could go back to sleep and wake up safe, back in Edoras, with no Saruman to haunt her.

The two sat in silence for a moment, the darkness beginning to lighten as morning neared. Threwen wondered what this day would bring. She still wanted Théoden to know and be prepared. She assumed he would know something was going to happen, but he had no idea.

Suddenly Rannyn inquired, "What's your favorite color?"

Threwen was bewildered by _that_ question. "What? Why?"

He shrugged. "Just curious."

She chuckled, wondering how this had come to his mind and answered, "Green."

He mulled it over and then nodded. "Suits you. Goes with your eyes."

Threwen grinned. Odd though it was, the comment had lightened the mood.

Soon sunlight began to creep through the stronghold that was Helm's Deep and people began to stir. Threwen and Rannyn had been sitting there for a while, his arm moving to go around her, careful not to jar her shoulder.

_I don't want this to end_, she thought. _I want everything to be okay. I want us to go back to Edoras and everything will be better. No Helm's Deep. No Uruk-hai. No Saruman. No…_

But deep down Threwen knew things weren't going to be normal. They never were normal to begin with.

Rannyn moved. "I need to go see Théoden…but I would like some breakfast first." He looked at her with twinkling brown eyes.

She rolled her eyes and moaned. "So you feel concerned about my sword wound and yet still expect me to make you breakfast?"

He grinned. "Yep."



_How in the world am I going to word this one?_

Rannyn walked slowly toward the King's headquarters, mulling over it. Threwen had firmly said she wanted the King to realize what they were going to be up against in the near future. They needed to make repairs on the place. He was just about there when he saw a figure moving briskly toward the same destination. He was dirty and bloody in places, looking as if he had been through a lot lately. Rannyn stopped to watch as the elf, Legolas, halted the man to talk with him. The elf's face looked relieved. Suddenly Rannyn recognized him.

_Lord Aragorn! He's alive!_

Rannyn had to admit that this made him feel better. That was a man who would listen to warnings. Legolas and Aragorn parted from each other and the man opened the door and went inside, obviously to speak with Théoden. Rannyn followed.

_I still don't know how I'm going to say this…_

But the Rider needn't have worried about this. Apparently the Ranger had seen a whole host of orcs heading in their direction, the estimate of the number incomprehensible compared to what little men they had at Helm's Deep.

"Ten thousand strong, at least," he had said.

_Ten thousand! How can we stand up to such odds?_

However, the king was confident that they would see victory. He seemed to think that since no one had breeched Helm's Deep yet, it wouldn't happen now. They began to fortify it and gather men for the fight. The enemy was expected to reach there by nightfall.

Rannyn hesitated to tell Threwen this, as he knew how concerned she was. But she took it bravely. She gasped at the number but then composed herself. Seating herself on a crate nearby she sighed and shook her head.

"So it has begun."



_Ten thousand. Ten thousand Uruk-hai against the few able-bodied men of Edoras. _

Threwen fiddled with the stocking she had been darning. Not only did her arm ache, but also her head. The fear and worry that had disappeared ever so faintly upon the return of Rannyn had now returned full force. She finally set the garment aside in frustration and muttered to herself.

"Why are you in such a bad mood?"

She knew the voice without even looking up. "You should know. You're the one who talked with Lord Aragorn."

Rannyn shook his head. "That may be true but I don't look like I think it's the end of the world." He sat down next to her and looked at her.

She returned his gaze, looking him in the eye. "How can you be so sure? The enemy is coming, Rannyn. It will be the end of _our_ world."

They were silent and Threwen a little bad for getting upset. What happened to her tough exterior she'd had for so many years? She felt like she had crushed Rannyn's spirit. He was, after all, going to be fighting.

_Going to be fighting…_

Threwen turned to him about to say something when she saw he held something in his hands. It looked like a sack or piece of cloth, the deep green color reminding her of the color on the flag of Rohan, a horse in the midst of a field of green. He was grinning from ear to ear as he presented her with it. She looked at what she now held in her hands and then looked up at him.

"What is it?"

He looked at her as if she were dense. "It's a sling. For your arm. See?" He took it from her once again and demonstrated how one was supposed to put it on. "See?" he repeated.

She tried it herself and realized how much help it did. The green fabric was soft, not like the coarse material most of her clothes were made out of. She smiled up at him, her fears lost in those brown eyes of his. "Thank you."

He grinned even wider, if that was possible. "No problem."

She fingered the material. "Where did you get it?" she asked.

He shrugged. "I just was talking with Caraedry and his wife and telling them how much your arm hurt and how _you wouldn't stop using it_!" He made a point of stressing the last part. "I asked if Ruthiel had some fabric with which I could make a sling. She gave me this. I sewed it myself."

Threwen was surprised. Rannyn could sew? She voiced her astonishment out loud. He looked indignant at her amazement.

"Of course I can sew. Who else stitched up the holes in my clothes before you came along?"

She giggled and then said, "Thank you," again. He seemed extremely pleased by her reaction.

"It's green too."

She laughed, realizing the reason for his bizarre question earlier. He had been planning this, she could tell. They were talking pleasantly, Threwen feeling much more secure, when Cadoc came up.

"Well, you look better. I see your arm finally has something to control it." He smiled and then winked at Rannyn. The young man smiled back. "I believe I'm ready for some dinner how about you two?"

Threwen nodded and Rannyn, of course, said, "Sounds great."

They began preparations for it but they never got to their dinner. There was a commotion and people started leaving. Threwen soon found out that everyone had been ordered to go into the caves, bringing all their belongings with them. Threwen's heart skipped a beat upon hearing this news, the realization hitting her like a ton of bricks.

_They're coming. They're almost here._

Rannyn got a concerned look on his face. He stopped a nearby soldier and the two talked quietly for a moment as Threwen and Cadoc gathered their things together. She watched them carefully out of the corner of her eye, trying to read what was going on, but unable to. Finally the young man came back and helped them finish up their packing. Then he sat back for a moment and ran a hand through his blonde hair, a troubled look in his eyes.

"What's going on?" Threwen asked quietly, even though she knew the answer.

"I have to go."

Threwen nodded and looked down at her feet. She felt like she couldn't move. Rannyn nodded to Cadoc and the man caught the look. He started to move toward the caves, taking his belongings with him. Threwen began to follow him, not daring to look Rannyn in the face for fear she'd start blubbering or something equally unstable at the sight of it. But he placed a firm hand on her uninjured shoulder, turning her toward him. She continued to look down.

"Do you trust me?" he asked quietly, looking down at her.

She shuffled her feet and nodded. But he wasn't satisfied with that.

He lifted her chin up, forcing her to look him in the eye. "Do you trust me?"

She felt her eyes beginning to water a little but she bit her lip and for that moment she sustained herself. She nodded.

"I will be back. I promise."

And with that he leaned down and gently, softly kissed her. Threwen felt like a surge had gone through her body and all the way down to her toes, making her unable to move, like her feet were stuck to the floor. A million thoughts began to buzz through her brain but soon things began to fall into place. Three emotions ran through her all in order.

_Love_.

_Despair_.

_Hope_.

And with that Rannyn turned and walked toward the room that was being used as the armory and Threwen turned to go to the caves. And finally a single tear fell from Threwen's eye and hit the ground, drying up immediately. Neither looked back.

**End Note: Aw, their first kiss. Tehe. Well, I would appreciate your response to my update. Let me know what you thought. Thanks!**


	22. Despair, Hope, Determination

**A/N: Well here's another chapter. I've put a flashback in here and there's an appearance of Elvish. You'll know the flashback when you get to it. As for the Elvish, I just got it from the movie script on Council of Elrond. If it's wrong, sorry. Elvish is not my strongpoint (wish it were…). Hope you like this update.**

"Threwen!"

The young blonde turned at the sound of her name being called by a voice that sounded vaguely familiar. She searched the sea of faces, beginning to wonder if she'd imagined Rannyn calling her name. But she realized the voices were real when she saw Ruthiel and her husband (still hobbling along on a crutch) coming towards her.

_I don't really want to talk with anyone right now…_

On top of not having Rannyn there, something she discovered she hated, Threwen was not a people person anymore, although she did like a few once she got to know them. She used to like people a lot…but many things had happened in her life since then and she was much more cautious with people. And she had yet to find Cadoc among the crowd of women and children that were shuffling their way into the caves for protection. She looked around but soon the couple was right next to her. Their faces were grave, them obviously knowing about what she must be going through with Rannyn preparing at that moment to fight.

Ruthiel cleared her throat as she began to speak. "Where are you headed?" she asked hesitantly.

Threwen shrugged. "I was just looking for Cadoc."

"Oh."

There was an awkward silence. Threwen figured they were only talking to her because she had no one else besides the old stable keeper. Besides she was wounded and couldn't really do much for herself, although the cooking aspect of her life she had learned to continue doing rather quickly since Rannyn's appetite was as ravenous as always, and for the most part Asimma had been cooperative, although the balancing was a bit tricky.

Finally Caraedry said, "Would you like to come and stay with us for the moment? Your friend, Cadoc, is welcome also…"

Threwen shrugged again and then simply nodded. Words weren't coming very quickly into her head. Too many things were clogging it up at the moment…too many emotions… and worries and…

…_Too many thoughts about him. Urgh, what am I going to do if something happens? What will I do if he doesn't – _The young woman thought back to what had happened just a few moments ago. A promise and a kiss. He had said he would come back. But what if he didn't?

"Threwen?"

She looked up into the face of Ruthiel. She thought, for a moment, that she saw kindness in the woman's hazel eyes, but the next moment all she saw was pity. And that was the last thing she needed. Pity. She was not helpless. She was a survivor. And she wasn't going to let Ruthiel, wife of Caraedry, to continue to think of her as weak. She would prove her wrong. She wasn't afraid of people. People were people. Relationship could hurt or heal. One of them, which might soon be over, had helped her heal. Now it was time to take the chance again.

Threwen straightened up a little bit, looked the woman in the eye and said, "That's fine with me. Let me go get Cadoc." And she turned on her heel without waiting for a response.

_I am strong. And I'm _going_ to get through this. No matter what._



Metal, so strong and hard, chained together to form armor, a protective covering against arrows and swords, now felt heavier than usual to Rannyn. He also felt like his heart was as heavy as his armor. It was all he could do to keep himself standing up right. He studied some of the men in the armory. They were still getting more people from down in the caves. He looked into their faces, some mere boys.

This_ is how we're going to defeat the Uruk-hai? Ten thousand of them?_

He shook his head. There had been moments, mostly around Threwen, who had so little hope, when he had been optimistic. It was good to root for the under-dog. And they were definitely the under-dog. But how long could they cling to what seemed like a false hope? Gandalf had been gone for days, looking for the Riders of Rohan. As much as he hoped otherwise, Rannyn couldn't help thinking that they weren't going to get there in time. They were only going to arrive to see the bodies of the people of Edoras littering the pathways of Helm's Deep.

_What happens if we fail? What will they do to the rest of them?_

He shuddered at the thought. He had only just rescued Threwen from something, only to have them both plunged into danger once again. His thoughts went back, back to the day when he had found her. He had almost been too late…



Blood. So much blood. Rannyn had thought she would be okay. He had gotten her away from that place and set her on his bedroll, ready to fix her up. The wound was shallower than both he and the Dark Rider must've thought. He thought he'd mortally wounded her, condemning her to death with the stroke of a blade. But it had mostly gotten the muscle in her shoulder, but still. After cutting away some of the fabric of her dress to see the wound better he realized how much blood there was. A lot of it.

_Think. What should you do? _It's like his mind had ceased to function properly. For a while the fear came rushing back in with full force. _I shouldn't have moved her. It made it worse. What will happen if you can't get the blood to stop? She'll bleed to death._

Rannyn started to feel the panic coming back. He had felt some resolve to save her just a while ago. He felt like everything was going to be alright because he was there to rescue her. But maybe he was just being too optimistic. Maybe he hadn't been cautious enough and now he had virtually killed her because he had moved her when he shouldn't have. But the heaviness of death had been everywhere, the dark of it hanging in the air, clinging to the very breaths he inhaled. He had been around death before and he liked to get away from it as soon as possible. He didn't want it pressing down on him or Threwen anymore.

_What do I do now?_

A second went by. And another. And another. Rannyn felt like he had been debating with himself for hours, watching her slip away from him, but really it had only been a few moments. He looked at her face again, brushing aside a stray piece of blonde hair, her cheeks pale. Like a fire suddenly burning up in him, he felt anger- anger towards himself, toward Threwen, toward the monster that had stabbed her.

But all this passed. Every emotion that had plagued him upon seeing the wound more closely, from despair to anger, vanished, replaced with insistence that they would get through this. His mind cleared.

_Apply pressure._

He placed his hand on it, in an effort to stop the blood. With his other hand he dug into his bag for a piece of cloth to use for a bandage. All he found was an extra shirt. _It'll work for the time being._ He let go for a moment tear it up and then placed a piece on the deep cut. It was soon soaked up with blood, but it seemed to be slowing down. He took another piece and placed it on. He was relieved that it was starting to close up a little. It took a while, but eventually he got to the point where he could clean it out a little more and get it bandaged.

_It's okay. It's going to be alright._

He sat back for a moment and wiped his brow. The sun was setting and he needed to get a small fire going. Luckily he had some supplies to do this. Threwen was still unconscious but her shoulder wasn't bleeding as much and she seemed a bit more stable and peaceful. He started to get things going.

_We're going to be okay. We're going to get through this. I know it…_



Rannyn was brought back to the present. They had survived that time. He had almost lost her but they had gotten through it. How would it go this time? What would happen if he didn't come back? He now felt like he was stumbling in the dark, groping toward a distant point which was blurry to him. He couldn't figure out what was going to happen.

"Look at them, they're frightened, I can see it in their eyes. Boe a hyn neled herain dan caer menig"

The blond Rider was startled at hearing such foreign speech at the end of that statement which he heard over the din of the men's voices. He was broken from his thoughts at seeing Legolas and Aragorn talking with each other, the elf looking grim. Aragorn responded in what sounded like Elvish, although Rannyn really had no idea.

"Si, beriathar hyn ammaeg na ned Edoras." Aragorn also looked grim at this point.

"Aragorn, nedin dagor hen ú-'erir ortheri. Natha daged dhaer." Legolas spat the words out.

Aragorn got a frustrated look on his face and said loudly, "Then I shall die as one of them!" The man stormed out, leaving a room full of men bewildered at this outburst.

Although Rannyn had no idea what they were talking about, he thought about it. "_Then I shall die as one of them_…." He began to wonder about it. It sounded like Legolas had been talking about how they were all going to die. And maybe they were. But Aragorn still seemed driven to fight to the death to protect them.

_How can he still have the resolve to fight with such a bleak ending ahead?_ he questioned himself. Then it started to make sense. _He would die protecting us. We may not win but he would go to his very last breath to try and fix that. _He pictured Threwen back in the caves, her shoulder still wounded, only protected by a humble stable keeper. He could see fear in her eyes, but there was determination. She would protect herself if it came to that.

_But it won't. I won't let it. I'm going to protect her or die trying._



"You're Threwen right?"

Threwen looked into the eyes of a 16 year-old girl. She was pretty and bore a strong resemblance to her brother, Caraedry. She had joined them soon after they'd gotten settled down in the caves. The older blonde forced a tiny smile. "Yes."

The young lady, only a little younger than Threwen herself, looked a little scared. "I'm Cerrarien," she said, glancing at her brother. Apparently he had sent her over to talk with her. Threwen had been sitting alone for a while Cadoc talked with Caraedry.

"Yes, I know. Your brother told my friend, Rannyn, a lot about you." She noticed the girl's torn expression. "Are you alright?"

The girl hesitated but then her shoulders slumped and she sniffed. "Blaennyn is out there," she whimpered.

Threwen softened. This girl seemed a bit upset. She apparently had been trying to make friends but her worries for this boy put that mission aside. "Who is Blaennyn?"

"My friend."

_Ah, your friend, huh?_ She was willing to bet he was more than that. "My friend, Rannyn, is out there too."

These simple words made the girl a little more at ease, as if someone who could relate to her was a comfort. She plopped herself down next to Threwen and wiped her nose, still looking worried but not as upset as before. Threwen couldn't help but smile. She could help this girl. She could keep her company.

Suddenly she saw a soldier come up. She wondered why he was lingering near them. They had no one they needed, did they? He placed a heavy hand on Cadoc's shoulder.

He cleared his throat and said, "You're able-bodied enough. We need you to come with us."

Threwen felt like she'd been socked in the stomach. She wheezed out a protest.

"No!"

**End Note: Well there you have it. What will happen to Rannyn? Or Cadoc? Will Threwen be safe as well through the battle that seems to be coming nearer and nearer? Hmm…guess you'll have to wait for the next chapter. Tehe. **


	23. Surprise Surprise

**Marie: Thank you, everyone for reading. I hope you like this chapter.**

Cadoc glanced back at Threwen, her eyes wide circles of shock and fear. He hated to scare her but he knew this wasn't good. _Never have been much of a fighter._ He smiled at her, trying to reassure her, and then looked forward, following the soldier's directions up to the armory. Hopefully he would find Rannyn. He wanted to be close to the young man during the battle, if possible.

_I wonder how bad it will be. _

He marveled at the number of orcs coming. It seemed the finish of the battle had already been decided just by looking at how many the enemy had and how many they had. Not exactly great odds. Cadoc had to admit to being scared. He was but a stable warden, a keeper of horses, not a warrior. But he would fight. The old man had determination left in him. He would defend his people.

Upon reaching the armory a noisy din reached his ears. There were quite a few men getting their weapons and armor, some mere lads and others older than him. Those were the ones that concerned him most- the too young and the too old. The boys looked frightened and the men had bleak expressions. He asked someone nearby where to go first and he directed him over to where he should go. Cadoc smiled and thanked him. He was only a young man, about 16, and looked frightened but extremely resolute. He seemed so confident but the old man knew he wouldn't be once he saw the enemy. He would be quaking in his boots.

"Cadoc? What are you doing up here?"

Cadoc found whom he had been seeking. "Ah, Rannyn. It seems I am an able-bodied man." He made a small bow, trying to lighten the mood, but looking glum nonetheless. "Cadoc, stable warden, at your service."

Rannyn shook his head, a look of distress on his face. "You shouldn't be up here. You need to be down in the caves with Threwen. You're an old man, Cadoc, no offense, and Threwen needs someone to protect her, should…" He drifted off in mid-sentence.

"Should the worst happen?" Cadoc nodded, knowing exactly what he meant. "But I remind you, I'm an old man and I wouldn't be of much help anyway."

_He still looks a bit distraught,_ he thought seeing Rannyn's face. "Don't worry, my friend. She is with Caraedry and his family. She is among good people."

Rannyn sighed. So much for the determination he'd had. It seemed to come and go. "Cadoc, why did they pick you? You're exactly the type of people we're trying to save- the old or the defenseless. I'm not saying you're utterly weak, but why sacrifice yourself? You could do so much better spreading hope to those around you in the caves. You're an encouraging man, something those people need."

Cadoc smiled at him, his face wrinkling up, his grey eyes sad. "Son, maybe I'm supposed to do this. If I'm so encouraging maybe I should be up here giving encouragement to the men. They're going to need it, I'm sure."

Rannyn fought with himself over this. He didn't want to see his elderly friend going into a battle such as this. But maybe he should have more confidence in the man. He had seen Lord Aragorn and many other leaders trying to boost morale.

Cadoc put a hand on his shoulder. "Rannyn, if this is my time, it is my time. I would gladly die doing what's right and defending my people." He waited until the young man reluctantly nodded. Cadoc smiled kindly at him again and then went off in search of armor, thinking to himself all the way.

_I only hope it's not your time too_.



Rannyn was mad. How could they send an old man up to fight? That was just as bad as sending a 12 year old out, which had been done. He was still determined to fight to the death, but some were children. They had their whole life ahead of them. It just didn't seem right. And the old men should die in peace, not in the midst of a battle they shouldn't have been in the first place. He decided to search out one of the soldiers that was close to Théoden. He found him talking with another man.

"Why must we use so many people who are too young or too old?" he demanded angrily of the man.

He turned to him with a raised eyebrow. "That's the point. We must use people. In case you haven't noticed we are rather short on forces at the moment and we are facing an army of ten thousand orcs. What do you suggest we do?"

Rannyn ran a hand through his hair, a nervous movement which was becoming a habit with all the events of the last few weeks. "I just don't think its right to sacrifice those which have no training in defense. We're sending them to their deaths!"

"Who else have we to send?" he asked quietly, staring the young Rider in the eye. He didn't respond. "We can use all the help we can get. I suggest you stop questioning our choices and start preparing."

And with that he turned away, leaving a frustrated Rannyn standing there with a dejected look on his face.



"Why so glum, chum?"

Rannyn brushed off the young man who had seated himself next to him on the steps outside the stronghold. He had blonde hair like every other man of Rohan and he had a bold look in his eyes, although there was a melancholy touch in them. He had noticed the Rider sitting there all by himself and was obviously making an attempt to be friendly.

He bumped him lightly with his shoulder and said, "Hey, just because we're about to go into a battle and most likely not come out alive doesn't mean you shouldn't be happy you're alive now, eh?"

Rannyn had to smile slightly. At least he wasn't in total despair like a lot of the people there. Théoden was right. Their hope hung by a thread.

The young man stuck out his hand. "I'm Blaennyn."

Rannyn chuckled, thinking this was hardly the time to start a friendship. He took his hand and replied, "Rannyn."

"Hey it kind of rhymes- Blaennyn and Rannyn." He smiled. The two sat in silence for a moment, thoughts of what was to come consuming their minds. "So, you got anybody? You know, back in the caves?"

_It seems like a lot of people are asking me that question- Caraedry and now this guy. _"Yes. Threwen."

He nodded. "Me too. Cerrarien is in those caves and I'm pretty sure she's not only scared for her life but for mine too." He got quiet and stared off into the night sky. "We were going to get married, in just a few years."

Rannyn nodded slowly. Both men knew what it was like to leave a loved one to go to try and protect them, hoping that they'd be able to return to them when it was all over.

Suddenly something struck him._ Did he just say Cerrarien?_

He turned to him. "You don't mean you're courting Cerrarien, sister of Caraedry?"

Blaennyn looked at him in surprise. "Aye, that's her. Do you know her? Amazing young woman, that she is."

"No, I met her brother on our way over here. I sort of helped him out when he was in a tight spot. We're friends. He told me about her. He's very proud."

"Then you must be that Rider that helped him after the Warg attack. Cerrarien told me about you." He looked at him with wide eyes.

"Yes," Rannyn replied softly. He didn't really like people talking about him.

His voice got solemn with respect as he said, "You're a good man."

"Thank you but I'm not better than anyone else. Any other would have tended to him if they had found him out there."

Once again they sat looking at the horizon, as if they could see the enemy coming out of the blackness. Rannyn was broken from his train of thoughts when Cadoc sat down next to him on the other side. He introduced him to Blaennyn and the two shook hands. After a while they figured they'd better go find their places. They began to stand up when they heard a sound. At first all three men panicked, thinking their foe had arrived. But no, that didn't sound like an orc horn.

They rushed to where a large group of people were collecting. A collective gasp rippled through the crowd. It was an army! They had come to aid the people of Rohan. But who were they?

Rannyn gasped. _It's the Elves!_

"How is this possible?" asked the King who had arrived on the scene shortly.

The leader of the company turned to him. "I bring word from Elrond of Rivendell. An alliance once existed between elves and men. Long ago we fought and died together. We come to honor that allegiance."

Aragorn was thrilled to see them and one could feel how much it cheered the men, a new source of optimism causing renewed confidence to surge through the crowd. It wasn't ten thousand but it was help.

_There may be hope yet._



_Don't take another one away from me. Please don't_.

Threwen closed her eyes for a moment. Cadoc was gone. Rannyn was gone. And now she was left with a family that thought they were doing charity by pitying her.

"Are you okay?"

Threwen eyes opened to see Cerrarien standing in front of her. The girl was obviously concerned and she regretted thinking of her badly. She was only worried about the young man she loved. Threwen supposed she was in the same boat as her. Really the girl was handling it well but Threwen didn't believe she knew exactly what was going to happen to them if they failed. She simply nodded.

"You're worried about Rannyn, your friend, aren't you?" She sat down beside her and pulled her knees up to her chest. She studied her.

She sighed. "And my friend Cadoc. He's too old to be out there. He means a lot to me."

"Cadoc will be alright. He's a wise man."

Threwen flinched a little as Ruthiel sat down on the other side of her. The woman, for some reason, unnerved her. She always had the impression that she only felt sympathy for her. It made her uncomfortable and now with her blubbering about Cadoc she knew she must look really weak. She hated it. Plus the fact that the woman was now seated on the side of her injured arm, causing her to want to draw away a little. It was terribly sore and she didn't want anyone touching her.

Except maybe Rannyn coming back to hold her. _That would be okay…_

But the woman looked at her and then said quietly, "You do not trust me."

Threwen looked at her right hand, the one not in the sling. It was entwining itself in the folds of her skirt. She shrugged, not quite sure what to say.

"I am sorry. I had hoped we could be friends."

_There's not much time for that now, _she couldn't help thinking. She finally dared to look into those hazel eyes. Instead of pity all she saw was kindness. _Alright, maybe a little pity…_ But for the most part Threwen sensed that she genuinely wanted to get to know her.

She took a deep breath._ Time for another step._ "I'm the one who should be sorry."

Ruthiel's face softened. "So I suppose we should simply forgive each other and then sit and worry about our men." She smiled and glanced at Caraedry who was sitting nearby changing the bandage on his leg.

Threwen had to chuckle. She was right. They had nothing to do. Although she seriously doubted that doing something would help her take her mind off of Rannyn. She felt something in her melt when she thought of him. She glanced sideways and became aware of Ruthiel's eyes on her.

"You love him?"

For a moment there was silence, hesitation, reluctance. Then a small nod. A look of understanding came into the woman's eyes.

"He'll be back." She held her head high and she looked confident of this, as if it were a fact.

"How can you be sure?"

She looked her in the eye. "How can you be unsure?"

Threwen was startled. _How can you be unsure? _She was right. She needed to trust. He promised. He'd be back. She opened her mouth to say something but found her breath was a little short. She coughed a little and croaked for water, her voice sounding wheezy. Cerrarien's face looked concerned but she got her a drink. She took it gratefully and took a long drink, hoping her now parched throat would feel better.

"Thank…thank y… She tried to say it but suddenly there was a shooting pain in her arm. She caught her breath and dropped the cup, clutching her arm but careful not to touch the wound. It almost felt like someone was pressing the heel of their boot into it. She bit her lip and winced.

Ruthiel was alarmed by this, the pain apparent in Threwen's eyes. Her eyes widened.

"What's wrong?"

Threwen tried to catch her breath but her words came out in gasps. "I…my arm…it…" She realized she'd started to press her hand against the gash. She moved her hand and saw it was soaked with blood. She looked up at Ruthiel.

The woman took action. She quickly told Cerrarien to get her brother and have him bring some bandages. After the girl had gone the short distance to talk with Caraedry, Ruthiel turned back to the young woman.

"Why? Why is this all of a sudden happening?"

Threwen shook her head, unable to speak. She knew what it was, or rather who it was. And she dreaded what the outcome of this particular episode might be.

**End Note: Yes, I know, another one of the breathing episodes. What can I say? Anywho, I appreciate reviews. I'm getting really, really close to the battle. In fact, I think it'll start in the next chapter. **


	24. Courage

**A/N: I'm pretty much going by the movie because its been so long since I read the books that I don't remember a lot of it (I think I read the first one between my fifth and sixth grade years, lol! Talk about hard!). But I have read the books. I do have some knowledge of Tolkien's world outside of Peter Jackson's movies.**

Blood. She couldn't stand the sight of blood. It brought back memories. Memories still slightly fresh in her mind. Memories of the day when she had committed a terrible act that would haunt her forever. Blood memories that stained her mind the way the crimson liquid had stained the grass on the plains of Rohan, in the distance between Edoras and Fangorn.

It brought back pictures too. Pictures of dead eyes that stared into the vast emptiness. Pictures of eyes that would never truly see again. Pictures of the eyes that had struck fear into her heart, like a cold knife slicing right into her.

"I need some more bandages!"

Threwen heard a voice. Everything had grown dim in the last few moments. Her eyes were closed, but it wasn't black. She was seeing a drab shade of grey, like mist, a cloud in front of her vision. She felt something in her shoulder but for some reason her brain wasn't working straight and she couldn't place the word to describe it. The last thing she remembered comprehending was the sight of blood, covering her hand and her shoulder, seeing the fear and confusion in Ruthiel's eyes, the feeling of dread rushing through her, and then finding herself there, in the dark fog of her mind.

Another voice was heard. "We have no more." It was a male voice, Threwen knew that. She felt like she knew it from somewhere but now it seemed like another lifetime.

"Then tear up this!"

She heard a faint noise…what was it? Oh yes, ripping. It was slightly familiar and therefore her mind registered it. It was the ripping of fabric.

_What's that?_

She could've sworn she had heard something. She felt a change and now realized the sounds of what was going on around her had faded and she was in that place in her mind, the grey place, all shrouded in haze and darkness. She was standing up, a strange feeling of cold going through her. A shiver.

_Where am I?_ she asked herself.

"Yes, where are you?"

Threwen whirled at the sound of someone behind her. She stumbled backward at the sight, lost her balance, and fumbled to the ground, a look of shock passing over her features. "No…"

An evil smile and a glint in those dark eyes were clearly visible to her, even in the murkiness. "Where are you, Threwen? You asked yourself that. Don't you remember? You didn't know where you were or who you were. Until I found you."

She shook her head, pulling herself away from the vision before her. _This can't be real. Just close your eyes. Don't let him in your head._ She obeyed her own orders and closed her eyes for a moment. _Just take a deep breath and think. Don't let him mess with you. Don't…_

The eyes flew open. Pain. That sensation which feels almost like a thousand needles shooting through you was now being felt. It was like daggers going through her whole left side. It was horribly obvious what was going on. Threwen clutched her shoulder and cried out. It burned and yet froze at the same time. It was like a horrible weight was pressing down on her. She bit her lip, trying to hold it in, but then everything came out in a gasp. She looked up at him and tried to scoot away but this did little. She was helpless.

He stepped toward her, a towering figure. He paused for a moment before her cowering form and then stooped down, a look of pure evil on his face. "Until I found you," he whispered menacingly.

Threwen took one look in those eyes, those black eyes, and something welled up from within her. Rage. She gathered all her strength and did something that caught the mysterious figure completely off guard. With one swift motion she kicked him across the face, causing him to reel back from his crouched position. She pulled herself to her feet, her hand still clutching the spot on her arm from which emanated excruciating pain. Her breathing was ragged.

"Get away from me, sorcerer. You won't ensnare me again with your mind tricks. I won't bend!" Despite how much it pained her, the blonde lifted her chin up, showing him the look of defiance in her eye.

He wiped the corner of his mouth, seeing a slight trickle of blood there. He pulled himself up from the ground. "Sorcerer? You think me a sorcerer?" Suddenly his tone grew louder, his voice more menacing. He straightened himself to his full height. "I am more than that, small one. I am one of the Istari. You cannot challenge me!" He glared down at her. "I am Saruman!"

Threwen tried her best at courage but at this specter it was hard to keep up her determination. She felt like she was going to collapse. Her whole arm and the entire left side of her chest felt like they were on fire and her breathing was coming out in pants. She tried to back away, but he kept advancing.

For a split second Threwen noticed the thing that had bothered her so long ago was apparent once again. This image she saw before her, whether possibly produced by her own mind or the workings of something darker, was the wizard clothed in all white. White, so pure a color, like clean snow, was such a sharp contrast to what this man, this thing, really stood for. The spotlessness of his robes did not fit his character of corruptness. So tainted by evil it was offensive how he still wore the color. She felt like he was insulting all that was good about the wizards, like Gandalf, by still calling himself one of the Istari, by still considering himself Saruman the White, the head of their order.

She took a deep breath and looked at him. Fear. There was still fear, coursing, rushing, surging. It was all through her. She was in a nightmare. But there was something else, something that exists when there's fear present but determination to overcome it. It becomes a stronger thing than fear.

_Courage_.

"I am Saruman!" The phrase still echoed through the place, as if there were dozens of others mimicking it.

Threwen glanced into the eyes, the sinister eyes. "And I am Threwen. And I am afraid of you." She made note of how that caused a curious response. But she continued. "But that doesn't mean I can't beat you."



Rannyn looked out from behind the wall. There was the flicker of torches nearing, the light glinting off the tall spears. There was a low rumbling sound, the very ground lightly vibrating at the pounding of ten thousand heavy feet marching toward the keep. The blonde ran a hand through his hair one last time and then put his helmet on. It was starting to rain. There was tension in the air. The king was ready. The troops were ready. There was only one thing left. And now it had come.

_They're here._

**End Note: Well there you are. Hope ya'll liked it. Reviews would be much appreciated. Stick around for the next chapter. I'm pretty sure the battle will start in the next one. Mwuhaha.**


	25. Battles: Inward and Outward

**A/N: Next one.**

Cerrarien looked around her. Things had gone deathly quiet in the caves. The rumbling had now grown into a dull roar coming from somewhere outside, like a great giant was stomping around, trying to make Helm's Deep come crashing down just by the shaking the earth. The army, the enemy had come and the people were scared. She was scared. And now this young woman, the love of the man who had helped her brother, was laying on the ground, her shoulder still bleeding, her brow furrowed. She glanced at her sister-in-law.

"What's going on?" The young 16-year-old gazed down at the other blonde's face. Her lips were moving, like she was whispering, but no sound came out.

Ruthiel wiped her arm across her forehead, her face grim. She had gotten the bleeding to slow and it looked like it was going to stop soon, but the woman's expression still looked serious, rather than relieved. "I think it's infected."

Cerrarien's eyes widened. She knew of stories of men dying from infectivity that polluted the body from wounds gotten in battle. Some had limbs chopped off before the end, an attempt by those tending them to stop the infection from taking over. She shuddered. "Is she going to die?"

The woman just shook her head, not as a response but as a show of her uncertainty. "I don't know. It hit her so fast. Its unnatural." She placed a hand on unconscious woman's forehead. "She doesn't have a fever. In fact she feels a bit clammy. But there's no other way to explain it. It just started to bleed, almost as if…"

Caraedry looked at his wife. He had gone to get some water for them and had returned to hear her diagnosis. "Almost as if…what?"

Ruthiel sighed. "Almost as if someone punched her in the shoulder. It's like someone had done something to it. I don't…I don't understand it."

"Could it be poison?" her husband asked.

"I don't think so. Why would someone want to poison her? How_ could_ someone poison her?" The woman just stared down at Threwen, a frustrated expression etched on her face. "I don't understand…" she whispered.

Caraedry put his arm around her. "It's okay. It looks like you've gotten the bleeding to stop and she seems to be a little more peaceful. We'll just keep watch. How is her breathing?"

Ruthiel rubbed the back of her neck. "It's still rather shallow but slightly more stable. A little while ago she gasped and then her breathing got more ragged, like she had fallen or someone had hurt her arm again or…I don't know. It's all so strange."

Caraedry put a hand on her shoulder. "Ssh, just be calm. You need to rest for a moment."

She turned to look at her husband. "Be calm? Rest? Take a look around you, Caraedry. There is an army out there, a battle about to happen. And here is Threwen, fighting a battle of her own. And you ask me to rest?"

Cerrarien watched the two, both of them with slightly hopeless expressions. She couldn't help wondering if they would last the night. It all seemed too bleak, like they were only waiting for their doom to come upon them, in the form of the Uruk-hai. Threwen had explained the difference between Uruk-hai and orcs to her, before the episode with her arm. The young woman had seemed to know a lot about them, what they were capable of. She kind of glossed over some details, like she didn't want to scare Cerrarien, but the younger blonde knew that they were able to do things that even orcs couldn't do. They were horrific.

_What will happen to us? What will happen to Blaennyn?_ She went and sat down a slight distance away, resting her head against one of the stalagmites. She closed her eyes and envisioned what might be going on out there. Was Blaennyn in the front lines for the battle? Was he with someone he knew or was he to die among strangers? Had the fighting already started? Her eyes flew open. Suddenly she realized it had gotten quiet for a moment. She looked about her, looked at the confused people that filled the passages of the caves. It was like the pause before the clashing of swords began, the brief silence that is filled with so much suspense and apprehension that one feels they can hardly stand it. That was happening right at that moment.

_Be safe, Blaennyn. And Rannyn. _The girl glanced at Threwen, still lying there. _And don't give in, Threwen._ She closed her eyes._ Please get well._



"The deep breath before the plunge."

Rannyn glanced up at sound of Cadoc's whisper. The old man was staring out at the vast space in front of them before Helm's Deep, once empty but now crawling with the enemy, ready to charge. They had torches and spears and the ability to strike fear in the heart of the men. They were creatures of mutilation, created merely for the destruction of all the inhabitants of that fortress. And for a split second all was silent. An old man had accidentally loosed his arrow and killed an orc, causing a hush to sweep through everyone for a moment. It was a stunned silence.

And then a roar. A furious, crazed, unintelligible roar, like a huge animal that was about to tear them apart. It was a roar meant to encapsulate the very wrath Saruman had instilled in the animals before them. They were hungry for killing, ready to satisfy it. They rushed to the stone walls. Arrows whirled from both directions. Soldiers from both sides fell.

"So," said Blaennyn, who was standing on the other side of Rannyn, having just shot an arrow which met its target. "It has begun."

Rannyn looked back out at the confusion, everything slowing down as thoughts raced through him. _So it has._



_Oof!_

Threwen's grasp on the wound in her shoulder moved to her stomach, which had just been smacked by a large boot. Her already weak breath was completely gone. She fell to the ground again in pain. Saruman hadn't liked her comment, her audacity to defy him. But she didn't care. She pulled herself to her feet again.

The wizard looked at her quizzically. "You get up again? It would be wiser to stay down."

"I won't let you scare me."

A slow smile from her adversary.

Threwen suddenly realized he had something with him. She looked at the rod in his hand. _His staff._ She knew that it only operated to inflict harm and now it was going to be directed toward her. Or so she thought.

He made a swift motion with it and said something under his breath. Threwen watched his movements, wondering what he was up to. He always seemed to have something up his sleeve. What was it this time? He finished and then stared at her, putting some of his weight on his staff, his eyes looking her up and down as if trying to calculate how much energy she had left. She knew he figured she didn't have much.

"I have a surprise for you, little one." He took a step to the side, as if to reveal something behind him.

Threwen squinted into the mist, struggling to see what it was in the gloom. For a moment there was nothing, just grey. But then a form materialized in the fog, a black form, shrouded in a cloak. It was a man, or so she thought. All was still vague since he was a ways away. She chanced a foot forward, trying to get a glimpse of his face. Then she wished she hadn't.

"Messenger…" the voice rasped.

Threwen reeled in horror, her face a picture of dismay. "It can't be…"

The corners of the wizard's mouth turned upward in a wicked grin. "Oh but it is."

Threwen felt like crying. The face. It had haunted her. She had hoped never to see it again. Now it was grey, a picture of death itself, looming toward her in the darkness. She wanted to scream but nothing came out. She wanted to run but her feet were stuck. She just stood there, staring into the face of the one whom she had slain with her own hand. She trembled.

_The Dark Rider._

**End Note: I know it isn't nearly as good as last chapter but I think there's still some drama. Hope you guys liked it. **


	26. Broken

**Marie: Ah! This is my favorite chapter! Read.**

Yelling, shouting, clanging, smashing, crashing, pushing, shoving, punching, stabbing. The whole scene was a mass of organized chaos with small charges here and miniscule battles lost and won there. Rannyn thought one could lose himself in such a conflict as this. He found it hard to keep track of who was winning and who was losing, although he had an idea of what the outcome was probably going to be. He did not wish to be negative about the whole thing but it was a little hard not to.

_Slam!_

He was rammed into the wall by a nearby orc and ducked only just in time to miss having his head lobbed off by an Uruk's blade. He certainly didn't have time to sit around thinking. The enemy was definitely keeping him on his toes. He quickly got the advantage against his assailant, stabbing him clean through the middle. Moving on to his next attacker he kept on fighting, wondering if and when it would end. When the rare moments came where he could look about him all he saw was death. Bodies were everywhere, piling up with each moment. Orcs, Elves, and Men were all dying on the same walls, their spilled blood pooling together on the stone floor.

After successfully living through another close encounter, Rannyn looked up to see Blaennyn fighting not too far from him. He had to admit that the young man had fire and he seemed to be doing alright for the time being. Cadoc, on the other hand, looked a little out of breath, but was surviving. Rannyn started to try and work his way over to the man. He saw that though the Uruks were larger, they weren't _too_ much smarter than your average orc. Sure they had a shred more intelligence but they were still severely lacking in the brains department.

But after a while Rannyn began to think he may have doubted their capability in winning.

_Maybe I underestimated them…_

So many had fallen already and he was beginning to feel his energy level going down. A man could only take so much. He slaughtered another orc that tried to take him out and then, not bothering to stop in-between, moved on to the next. It seemed a never ending cycle- kill one orc, kill another, and another. It looked as if there was an unending supply of them.

_Is it just me or does there seem to be more of them now?_

Suddenly an explosion rocked the whole place, causing him to be thrown painfully to the ground. After a few moments of just lying there he gingerly pushed himself up from the ground and onto his feet. He quickly found his sword and looked in the direction of the blast, only to find it was not a pretty sight. Helm's Deep was breeched.



Totally unaware of the battle that was going on above her, Threwen had her eyes fixed upon the vision before her. Pale was the face and slow was the approach that belonged to one man, one creature, one _thing_ which could strike so much terror in her heart as to make her want to break down and cry, to give up all hope and give in to the despair. She didn't know what to do. Her brief surge of strength that had come with the insolence towards Saruman, her small short victory in not being afraid of the wizard and the thrill and adrenaline rush that went along with it, was now leaving her, quickly slipping through her fingers as if it were grains of sand.

She took a step back. He loomed closer, moving forward. Soon she found herself next to a wall. She was trapped. Through the mist the Rider advanced, slowly but surely, toward his prey. Though she hated being weak she felt herself trembling.

_I'm such a coward. He's dead. He can't be here. There's no possible way for him to be alive…_ He was closer now. She could see him… _But he's a Dark Rider, he's a servant of Saruman, he's neither as stupid as an orc nor as cold as a Ringwraith, and he is in league with a wizard, a magician, a sorcerer. _This was a man, now brought back from the dead for one sole purpose –to destroy her.

"Messenger," it rasped, coming closer and closer with every step of its feet.

_Wait. Feet…feet?_

Threwen looked down and blinked. He had no feet. It was like he was floating on the air. Surely a man raised from the dead would still have his feet. This new development at first made her think she had hope. This was another trick by that conjurer, Saruman. But then another thought struck her.

_He must be a ghost…_

This was worse and Threwen felt her blood run cold. If he was a ghost then he couldn't be destroyed. He was invincible and there was nothing she possessed or presently had in her power to defeat him. She felt regret, she felt anger, she felt sorrow, and she felt despair. Leaning heavily against the wall, her hand still clutching her throbbing, agonizing shoulder, she let herself slowly slide down to the ground, waiting for her doom.

_So this is the end. I am to die, killed in the hands of the ghost, a specter, a spirit. He's a messenger of death._

She had to marvel at Saruman's gruesome sense of humor. She had been his Messenger, his way of contacting his spies, his only way of communication. Now the Dark Rider was his Messenger and his message to her was death.

As if he carried an air of morbidness, Threwen could sense the Rider's nearing presence without looking up. She closed her eyes for a moment, trying to figure out how it would happen. Would he use a sword? Could ghosts use swords? Maybe he would simply poof her away and that would be the end of her existence. She wasn't sure what the usual method of killing spirits used. A few moments passed and she chanced a look up.

"Messenger…"

_The eyes. Don't look at the eyes. They capture you under his spell. He'll get inside your head like the last time…_

Like last time. She thought about that for a moment. How had he looked last time? His eyes were dark and evil, burning with the hatred Saruman had instilled in him. Now they were simply cloudy, glazed over with a look of death. He had also had feet, but she had already established that their absence was because he was a ghost. He had had a dark cloak and…

_Wait…he never had any armor like that…_

Threwen wondered if maybe she wasn't remembering right, but then she was sure. She _knew_ what the Rider looked like. He had never had any armor whatsoever. She had sat staring at his body, unable to take her eyes away for several moments after what happened. The image was burned into her brain.

_He has armor and that would mean that there's no…_

The wound. The sword wound she had inflicted upon him. It wasn't there. There was only armor to replace it.

_What is going on?_

Suddenly it registered with her. This wasn't real. Saruman hadn't seen what the Rider had looked like. There were pieces missing so he filled them in. This was his magic. She had been right earlier. This Dark Rider was a vision, but that's all. No ghostly powers, no supernatural abilities. He was just an illusion. His only power was through Saruman. And that staff. He could be defeated.

Threwen's heart started racing faster, if that was possible, as she saw all the pieces falling into place. She knew what she had to do.

_Break the staff. Break the staff. You break the staff, you break his spell._

A deep breath. And then she lunged. Her shoulder felt like fire and her vision was blurred but she kept on in the direction of the wizard. She dodged the Rider (although she supposed at later times that she could've just walked right through him) and raced toward Saruman. The look of surprise and utter shock on the old man's features was indescribable and gave Threwen more strength. She did what she only thought possible- she tackled him. Knocking him to the ground caused him to drop his staff, which slid away from his grasp. Though she knew her arm must feel like a thousand needles of pain she couldn't feel it. Her mission was the only thing that occupied her senses.

_Grab it!_

Threwen lurched toward and grasped the long rod with her hands, lifting it up. It was heavy and thick.

_How am I going to break it? How am I going to break it?_

She looked frantically about her, ever aware of the man struggling to stand up behind her, always noticing the seconds ticking by. She looked toward where the Rider was still standing. He hadn't moved at all, proving she had been right. The staff and the wizard controlled the creature. She gazed past that into the gloom.

_The wall. The rock wall._

She raced toward, dragging the staff with her. Upon reaching it she took a deep breath and shifted the weight. She bit her lip, realizing how much of a sting it would cause her to strike the rock. The reverberations would cause excruciating pain and she knew it.

_But I must be rid of this. This has to end._

She raised up the staff.

Saruman's eyes widened and he ran for her. "NO!'

But it was too late. The heavy rod struck the stone surface and Threwen cried out in pain, the resounding vibrations putting stress on all the torn muscles in her shoulder. She sunk to the ground. It was done. She felt blackness coming over her but not before seeing the staff near her, broken in two.

**End Note: Happy now? I resolved her end. But what of battle above? Only the next chapter will tell.**


	27. Going Down

**A/N: Ooh. So close to the end. I'm going to be doing a sequel so buckle up for a long ride.**

Threwen heard something. It was off in the distance, like waves lapping against the shore of a river, going in and coming out, drawing closer and then farther away. She struggled to grasp it, to figure out what it was in the corners of her mind. It was getting closer and closer, the sound becoming more distinct and recognizable.

"Threwen?"

That was it! Her name. Her name was being called. It was stronger and louder now, just an eyelid opening away. All she had to do was open her eyes and see who it was that was calling her name.

_It would help if they would focus first!_

Everything was a little blurry and Threwen muttered something. "Rannyn?"

There. The face was in focus.

_But that's not Rannyn._

"No, it's Caraedry."

Threwen saw the young man looking down on her. She stared at him for a moment, trying to figure out what to say and then she asked, "What's going on?"

"With the battle or with your physical condition?" he asked, a slight smirk on his face.

"Both," she replied, still a little groggy. She tried to move a little, noticing her arm didn't hurt as much as it had when she was fighting in her mind. All that seemed a distant memory, as if it was only a dream.

Caraedry looked at her worriedly. "Well, judging by your shoulder I would say you shouldn't be doing too much _right now_!" He stressed the last few words, trying to hint at her to take it easy.

She rolled her eyes and winced suddenly for moving the wrong way. Apparently some of the injuries she had sustained during the dream were still there, such as a very sore stomach from being kicked by the wizard. But this didn't stop her, as if anything would, and she slowly slid her way up into a sitting position. She asked for water and Cerrarien, who had been sitting nearby viewing things quietly, went to it.

"How's the battle? Have you heard anything?" she asked as she took a sip from one of the water skins.

Caraedry studied her for a moment, probably wondering if he should ask her some questions about what had happened to her recently, like her slipping into unconsciousness, making them think she might die from an infection, and then waking up a while later almost perfectly fine, except for a sore shoulder and a strange look in her eye. He finally decided to explain things to her now and ask questions later.

"We recently heard a very loud explosion. It shook the place pretty badly. We're not sure how things are faring."

Threwen chewed on that thought. What were those Uruks up to? What was this explosion? More of his conniving devilry? She sighed and rested her head against the rock behind her. For a moment she closed her eyes, seeing that she was no longer haunted by images of the wizard, looming just inside her mind. She was finally done with him. She was rid of him. She opened her eyes again and looked at the young man.

"Do you wish to fight, Caraedry?" she asked softly after the silence of contemplation from both sides.

He looked up at her, clearly surprised at her query. For a moment he thought about it and then answered, "I would've liked to have helped defend my people and my country. Keeping my family safe is my main priority. But with my leg still healing from being slashed by that Warg I don't really have a choice."

"How is your leg?"

_Since when did I inquire about other people so much?_ she asked herself. But she had been changing a lot lately. It was all for the good.

He smiled and looked down at the wounded appendage. "It's doing much better. I found a healer among some of the people here and they gave me some things to put on it. Of course supplies are few, especially now, but at least its something. I can walk on it and all but it hurts. I need a cane, as you can see." He gestured toward the piece of wood he was using to help balance himself.

They sat in silence for a moment, thinking about everything, listening to the sounds of the battle waging above them. They were totally oblivious to what was going on up there, totally in the dark, and it drove them both nuts. Little did they know how bad it really was.



Rannyn considered his options. Stay up on the wall and get killed by orcs. Go down to the ravine and help protect the breeched wall and _then_ get killed by orcs.

_Not very good odds._

He finally saw that the need was greater down below, even though Aragorn and a large group of Elves were collecting to charge. He worked his way down there. He saw that Cadoc was also fighting near that area.

_At least we'll go down together_.

Rannyn struggled to push these negative thoughts from his mind. He needed confidence or else he _would_ fail and he knew it. He had seen enough battles to know this. He looked around for Blaennyn, trying to see if the young man was still fighting. There. He was already ahead of him, making his way down to defend the ground now exposed because of the explosion. The Elves and a collection of Men charged and the fighting continued.

_How long can this go on? How long can we hold out? What about the gate? How long will it hold?_

A million questions and thoughts were rushing through his head. _What if_ this and _what if_ that. _How long_ for this thing and _how long_ for that thing. The blonde had to remember to dodge swipes from orcs and continue to slash them through. The slaughtering wouldn't stop to give him time to ponder.

He kept on, only taking time to look up now and then. There were a few comical highlights to the battle, like seeing the dwarf, Gimli, being hurled through the air to aid the fighting at the gates along with Aragorn. The two defended the gate valiantly, showing their skills as warriors. They continued on, like everyone else, hoping it would end soon.

And that's when it happened. The Uruks were too great in number and soon the King called them to pull back. Rannyn worked his way to the gates, wondering what was going to happen. What did the future hold for them now? Saruman had sent them for one reason- to destroy them, down to the last child. And now it looking like they were losing. They were pulling back.

_Does this mean we lose? Will we keep fighting? Will we give up hope? What happens now?_

Rannyn had reached a place where he could slip inside, soon to be followed by Blaennyn. He let him in first, keeping watch for any arrows from the enemy. Once the young man was safely inside he turned to go in. But something stopped him. He turned around, looking for that something and not finding it. He frantically searched the mass of soldiers and Uruk-hai, wondering where it could be. He found it.

"Cadoc! Come on! We have to pull back!"

The old man nodded to him and started toward him. But this time something stopped him, only this something caused Rannyn to rush to him as fast as his legs would carry him, calling to Blaennyn to help.

An orc, from behind the older man, had slashed him when he was turned trying to make his way back into the keep. Rannyn saw a look of shock pass over his face as he paled and then fell.

"Blaennyn! Someone! Help me!" the Rider yelled desperately, crouching over him. He felt everything go out of him, every ounce of hope, of energy. In a moment his world seemed to shrink.

_Not again. No. Not again. This can't happen. We're going to get through. Please, not now._

Blaennyn came up and picked up the stable warden's feet, allowing Rannyn to grasp his arms. They quickly carried him into the keep, another soldier coming up to shield them from arrows and other orcs. They were safely inside.

"Set him over here," the aiding soldier said, gesturing to a spot inside the inner room of the stronghold.

Blaennyn looked at Rannyn, who was breathing heavily, as if wondering what to do next.

"Rannyn?" he asked. The normally optimistic young man looked downtrodden. "Rannyn?"

But Rannyn wasn't listening anymore. He was staring down at Cadoc's face, his old wrinkled face. That face had captured his full attention. It had captured his attention because his eyes were open. And he was trying to say something. The young man leaned closer.

"…Time…t-time…"

"What time?" Rannyn asked, searching the face in order to possibly comprehend what he was saying.

But he didn't answer. His head drooped and his body went limp.

"Cadoc?"

**Ooh, drama. I love it. I appreciate reviews if you've got 'em.**


	28. Losses

**I'm almost done. This is a really long chapter because I didn't want to split it up. But this has got to be a short note because I have homework. Just read!**

"Rannyn? Rannyn!"

The Rider looked up at Blaennyn. The young man, he noticed, looked older. He was only 17, as he had told Rannyn before the battle began, but now he looked much, much older, covered in mud and water and blood. This young man, who had just seen horrors that no man should ever see in the course of his life, was now looking at him. And what was in his eyes was something that he couldn't place.

_Is it worry? Is it something desperate?_ He gazed at him for a moment. _No, its determination. _He looked determined to fight to his dying breath if it meant protecting men from a horrible demise in the clutches of the enemy.

His gaze shifted down and Rannyn followed his stare. There lay Cadoc, his body still.

"He…he's…" Rannyn stuttered and then swallowed hard, trying to get rid of the lump that had now formed in his throat.

Blaennyn put a hand on his shoulder. "He's not dead."

He stared at him. "What?"

There was a slight smile on the younger man's face. "He's just unconscious. What we need to do is look at the damage done. _Then_ we can get upset, okay?"

All Rannyn could do was nod mutely. For someone so young he seemed to know how to handle situations with authority and a clear head. Rannyn envied him. This was a talent he had yet to learn. He had never been in situations where people he was attached to were actually in danger until recently, first with Threwen and now this. He had never had to train himself to look past his fears, his doubts, his despair, and at the task at hand, to identify the problem and how to fix it before panicking.

"Now, where is he hurt?"

_Boom!_

Blaennyn looked up at the sound of the door, the huge wooden door to the outer hall, being banged against by the enemy's battering ram. He could see through the doorway that a huge group of men were pressing against it in an attempt to keep it closed. But this glance only last for a second and then the young man looked back down at Cadoc and Rannyn.

"Don't worry about them. Just worry about this."

Rannyn nodded and said, "He was struck from behind."

The two men turned him over to inspect the wound. The sight of blood made Rannyn's stomach turn but he kept his bearings. He had seen much more than this before with Threwen. And she had survived. It gave him hope that maybe this wasn't as bad as he had originally thought. They ripped away some of the torn fabric and saw that the cut was not too deep, just drawn across his back in a long arc.

Blaennyn gave Rannyn an encouraging look. "See? It's not bad at all. Just bandage him up and he'll be fine."

"We need to prevent it from infection and we don't have anything to do that with," Rannyn pointed out.

Blaennyn gave him a look that had a clear message. _Why bother with that now when we might die soon anyway?_ It was true that whether or not it was clean didn't matter at the time being. There were tons of men injured who had simply had bandages slapped on and then sent back out to fight again. They didn't bother worrying about long term at that point in time because there might not _be_ a long term.

_But what if there is?_

Rannyn returned Blaennyn's look with this one. What if they won? They wouldn't want a friend and a good man to survive such a battle and then die from a simple wound because they failed to take care of it properly. When he thought about it, it would be a sign of hope, confidence that they, the underdog, would win, despite how bleak it now looked. Blaennyn understood.

"Who should we call from the caves?"

Rannyn thought for a moment. "Caraedry."



Caraedry looked troubled. The young soldier, who had breathlessly come into the caves, calling out the other man's name, had immediately caused alarm among the people. Ruthiel had heard him, told him that man he was seeking was her husband, and led him to their spot. Now he was desperately trying to tell Caraedry something about a man who was injured and the need for help.

Ruthiel looked distressed and she edged into her husband's arms. "Caraedry…?"

He looked down at her, giving her a reassuring smile. "Ruthiel, my dear, why don't you go grab me some water and some of those leftover pieces of cloth from my shirt?" He was referring to the shirt they had ripped up to use as bandages for Threwen.

She nodded and went away, leaving the two men to speak alone. Or at least what they thought was alone. They were not aware that Threwen, who was supposed to be resting, was wide awake and listening intently to what was going on around her.

"Now try and repeat that with a calmer voice, alright?"

The soldier took a deep breath. "We've had to pull back to the outer hall in the fortress. Among some of the men who came in were two men carrying another who was unconscious. He has a sword wound on his back that doesn't look very good and they wanted me to come looking for a Caraedry to help them."

The other man ran a hand through his hair, an act that reminded Threwen painfully of Rannyn.

"Why? I am no healer. I have no skill other than the common soldier's."

The soldier shrugged. "There really is no one else. We lack supplies and all of the other men are bracing the gates. They said you were slightly injured but were neither crippled nor old and could defend your own if need be."

Caraedry sighed. "Who asked for me?"

"The two men said their names were Rannyn and Blaennyn. The name of the injured man I was not told."

Threwen's heart leaped. _Rannyn?_

Caraedry's eyes widened and then he nodded. He went over to Ruthiel and informed her of what was going on. The woman looked worried but only nodded. She was used to her husband going into danger. She handed him his knapsack filled with some supplies. He took from her but did not leave. Instead, he set the bag down and then took his wife into his arms, kissing her and holding her tightly.

"I love you," he whispered.

And then he took up his bag and followed the soldier out of the caves and into the battle.



Rannyn let out a breath at the sight of his friend with a bag of supplies. That was something they could use and although they could've sent any spare soldier down to get this it helped that they brought along a man who could care for the injured without having to fight.

"My friend!" He patted him on the soldier, glad to see each other alive but grave at the events that brought them together again.

"Let me see him."

The men stepped back to show Cadoc, still lying on the ground. Caraedry seemed surprised at who it was that he was treating but said nothing. He took out some bandages and started to work when he found he was interrupted by a breath drawn in abruptly by Rannyn and then a familiar voice.

"You're going to need another set of hands."

The men's eyes widened. Caraedry was the first to speak. "Threwen?"

She looked down at her arm, which was bandaged and in a sling, and then smiled weakly. "Well, I suppose I have only one hand useful, but its some help."

Caraedry opened his mouth to speak, to protest. It was not a woman's place to be up in the midst of all this. She could be killed. She shouldn't have to see some of these things. But then he closed his mouth. From what he had heard of this young woman she was stubborn and it was no use arguing with her. Besides, he noticed that she wasn't even looking at him anymore. To her, he didn't even exist. Only one man was capturing her gaze now.

For a moment the two stared at each other and then they somehow ended up in each other's arms, hugging each other tightly. Rannyn put a hand on the back of her head, smoothing her hair. Threwen merely closed her eyes, ignoring the slight jarring of her shoulder, feeling completely safe and relieved in that moment. He pulled her back and just looked down at her. For a short time she got lost in his eyes, thinking she could stay there forever. But then she broke herself from his gaze and directed her full attention to the man on the floor.

"What happened?" she asked softly, as she bent down, looking at the deep cut.

Rannyn sighed. "He was coming back and an orc snuck up behind him and slashed him in the back."

She surveyed everything for a moment and then said, "Have you been applying pressure?" She'd had to take care of her own wounds before and so she knew the standard procedure.

This time Blaennyn spoke up. "We didn't have anything so we used my cloak. Now that we have some clean cloths to use it should go more smoothly than with this huge thing." The playful twinkle in his eye was still there, undimmed, which Rannyn had seen when he first met him. At least he hadn't lost his spirit.

Threwen carefully and awkwardly rolled up her sleeve, looking around her at some of the other injured. "I guess we should get to work."



"Brace the gates!"

The phrase which had already been uttered a dozen times was being called again, ringing through all of Helm's Deep. The men were struggling to keep the crumbling gate together. No one knew how much longer it would hold. Even King Théoden was helping.

Rannyn and Blaennyn had since gone back to continue fighting. They were poised and ready for any orcs that dared show their ugly faces in the hall. They also helped with the gate, rushing against it in order to brace it against the battering ram. But it was only a matter of time.

_Crack!_

The sound echoed through the place, all the way to the inner hall where Caraedry and Threwen were located. The man looked up, a strange expression on his face which Threwen hadn't seen there before. She studied him for a moment, noticing that he fidgeted with a piece of leftover cloth he had used to dress a small wound. He kept looking in the direction of the growing din with an anxious expression. For a while she couldn't understand. Then it registered.

"Caraedry?"

He looked at her, his face the same as before.

She gazed at him and then said, "You told me you wanted to defend your country, your people."

_Boom!_

He whirled at another sound of the gate breaking. She called his attention back to her.

"Caraedry," she said, turning him toward her. "Do what you feel called to do."

He stared at Threwen, a surprised look on his face. And then he stood up and smiled at her. He grasped his cane, grabbed a nearby bow and arrow and started away, stopping only to turn back and look at her one last time.

Threwen closed her eyes. The noise was growing louder. The men were shouting. The gate was breaking.

She heard a _Bam!_ followed directly by a _Snap!_

_It's over. They're through._

She was right.

"Pull back! They've broken through! Pull back!"

A crowd of men came rushing back into the inner hall, breathing heavily and bleeding from places where they had been stabbed or slashed. Threwen rose from the side of a man she had been tending, her eyes searching for three men in particular.

_There. _She spotted Blaennyn. She continued to look and was satisfied once again. Rannyn was safe also, who soon found her and stood beside her, putting his arm protectively against her as the men formed around the inner doorway to brace it against the new attack. But wait. One was still missing.

She turned to Rannyn. "Where is Caraedry?"

Her companion looked down at her in shock. "Caraedry? He was in here with you."

She shook her head. "He wanted to fight. He couldn't concentrate. I sent him out."

Rannyn's expression grew alarmed and he left her, searching frantically for his friend. For a moment he disappeared into the crowd of men. The seconds and minutes ticked by and Threwen felt a great dread growing.

_So this is how it will end. One by one picked off by the enemy, until the last one is left all alone._ The hopelessness of the situation started to sink in. The battering ram was still thudding against the door. The King looked in despair. Legolas was knocking over a table to use as extra bracing. Aragorn was desperately trying to get information out of one of the soldiers. Rannyn and Caraedry were still nowhere to be found.

Suddenly Rannyn emerged, dragging something behind him.

_Caraedry._

Threwen's blood ran cold. She rushed over to him with a cry, panic coursing through her. "No…no…" was all she was able to mutter.

Rannyn looked at her grimly. Caraedry's breaths were coming in gasps, an orc arrow protruding from his chest. He was fighting but it was a losing battle. Threwen found herself sobbing. She had sent him out to fight. He had wanted to go. She had let him.

"Caraedry, I shouldn't…I shouldn't have let you…" she sputtered.

The man's mouth turned upward in a very weak smile. "I…I wanted to…protect…them…"

Threwen sniffed. "I know."

Théoden and Aragorn were coming to a decision behind them.

"Ride out with me. Ride out and meet them."

Théoden's face changed. "For death and glory."

Aragorn corrected him. "For Rohan."

Threwen heard it all and felt something wrench inside her. But her gaze was directed back down to the man whose head was now resting in her lap. He tried to say something, failed, and then softly got it out before finally letting go.

"…For Rohan…"

**Okay on this one I've gotta ask for reviews because I'm dying to know what you think. So…review!**


	29. Bitter Triumph

**Marie: This is the last chapter in _The Messenger_. I was going to do two instead of one, but it was so short that I decided to combine it. **

Rannyn felt anger coursing through him. _For Rohan. For Rohan._ Those words would forever be etched in his memory. He stared down at the body of Caraedry, now motionless, limp. It was the body of a husband, a brother, a son, a friend, but what was now going through Rannyn's mind was one word that described him. _Warrior_. He had died defending his country, his people, and that will, that goal, would not die, not on that day.

_Not while I have strength left_.

He looked down at Threwen, who had tears slowly making trails down her face and Caraedry's head cradled in her lap, and he knew. He knew that he wouldn't let another person die when he could die in their stead. The young woman looked up at him, a strange light in her eye. There was sadness, but there was also strength. Her face seemed to echo the man's last words, as did everyone who had been around to hear them. Threwen saw Rannyn looking at her and nodded.

"Threwen…" he started softly, bending down so that they were at equal level.

She smiled faintly and put a finger to his lips. "Go." She understood.

Rannyn looked into her eyes for a moment, hoping never to forget what he saw in those bright green spheres. For a moment their gazes were locked, unmoving, unflinching. And then Rannyn took her head in his hands, placed a kiss upon her forehead, and stood up. He was going to find Isidien and they were going to do what Aragorn said. "Ride out and meet them."



When one who has been through such a traumatic, unforgettable experience like the Battle of Helm's Deep, one's memories of it seem to go in slow motion. Each breath-taking moment, each chance taken, and each action that costs a friend's life, takes forever to wade through in the back of their mind.

This is how the remainder of the battle went for Rannyn and his fellow men. They charged through the city gates, destroying and trampling all in their path and though there were too many of them, they were going to fight to the death. And then everything changed with the turning of the tide, the coming of reinforcements. After the event, Aragorn told of Gandalf's promise to return with aid, at first light on the fifth day. And, as always, he came through. At dawn, there they were, Gandalf and Eomer and the entire Riddermark, sending the remaining forces from Isengard running as though there were whips behind them.

However, this small triumph was rather bitter in both Rannyn and Threwen's eyes. They had lost something that could not be brought back. Cottages could be rebuilt and crops re-grown, but nothing could bring back something as important as a human life.

Like the battle, the returning to the caves seemed also to pass extra slowly in Threwen's memory. She felt as if she watched herself from afar, looking on as the miserable scene unfolded before her. There she was, trudging toward her friend who was hopefully awaiting her husband's return. Threwen could feel the heartbreak that appeared in the woman's eyes. She could sense the agony that passed through her body as she crumpled to the ground in a sobbing heap as her sister-in-law's arms went around her. The young sixteen-year-old simply stared into empty space, her brain not quite registering the news. Though Ruthiel felt its full effects immediately, Cerrarien did not entirely comprehend her brother's death until much later.



_A few days afterward…_

"We survived."

Threwen looked up to see the blonde-haired Rider coming toward her.

_My blonde-haired Rider_.

She had been concentrating on the sun that was slowly sinking down behind the hills, casting an eerie glow on Edoras. So many had not returned from the battle fortress of Helm's Deep and some of those that had were now mere ghosts of who they had been. One in particular was Cerrarien, who was just then feeling her brother's death and was being hit very hard by it. Blaennyn seemed to keep her going, though there were times when it seemed she had no strength left. Ruthiel, on the other hand, though still in the shadow of her husband's death, seemed to understand it and was learning to cope.

Rannyn came up beside her and gazed out at the view. For a while they just stood there, taking it all in, reflecting on everything that had happened to them. Finally Threwen broke the silence.

"It all feels so bittersweet."

Her male companion glanced at her and then looked back out across the plains. "He died for his country."

"But how long will his country last?" she asked, an edge of fear in her voice.

"You heard about the beacons?" he asked quietly, still surveying the magnificent golds, purples, and pinks that the sun was casting on the fields of Rohan.

She nodded. The beacons of Minas Tirith were lit, which meant Gondor was calling for aid. "Was it all for nothing?"

Suddenly, Rannyn turned to her and looked her straight in the eye. "Nothing is for nothing. Remember that. He died honorably and his death was for reason. Nothing is without reason."

Threwen's eyes widened at his outburst. He had apparently been thinking about the same thing. For a moment all she could do was stare at him in surprise and then she just felt herself wrapped in his arms. She laid her head against his shoulder.

"Don't worry," he whispered. "You're safe with me. You're safe."

Threwen sighed and closed her eyes, the last rays of sunlight warming her face.

_We're safe…for now._

**Marie: Don't worry. The sequel will be coming soon!**


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